Lazy
by CFierce116
Summary: (Sequel to Underneath It All & Broken) A tale that revolves around six individuals as one takes a leap of faith with a man that she least expects, new parents search for marital bliss while juggling new responsibilities, and a couple fights to enjoy their newfound relationship while battling many obstacles that arise. (Seth Rollins/OC, Roman Reigns/OC, Dean Ambrose/OC)
1. One

_**A/N: I swear I tried SOOOO hard to wait to post this story next Monday. But I'm such an impatient person and after consulting fellow writers, here I am. After hearing about Seth SLAYING last night on Raw being the chickenshit that he is, it's time to show him some well deserved love I believe. I want to thank everybody for their patience. Special thanks goes to my smut partner in crime, benova13 for the continued assistance and support. Now without further ado, enjoy my latest offering, Lazy.**_

_Disclaimer: I only own my OCs. Any WWE superstars or song lyrics are not mine._

* * *

><p><span><strong>One<strong>

_Hold on, I'm not really tryna go through this again_  
><em>I'm not jumping up and down about love and it seems if<em>  
><em>If don't wanna dive back into that pool of love<em>  
><em>I'm done swimming, I'm good<em>

_See I don't feel like getting to know you_  
><em>What you like you eat and what you like to do<em>  
><em>See that's too much information to deal with<em>  
><em>Play the love game with another 'cause I quit<em>

_-Lazy, Letoya Luckett_

She was a sucker for good dick.

That's the only reason Alani could think of to explain why she was back in the bed that she vowed she would never end up in again. She deserved so much better. But she continuously got sucked back into his web. All it took was one tantalizing smirk and a deep stare into his gorgeous blue eyes and she was instant putty in the palm of his hands. The thought simply sickened her. Yet she couldn't control her urges. She knew it was wrong. Knew it would end up biting her in the ass later on yet she kept coming back for more.

His loud yawn jolted Alani out of her reverie. She watched as he stretched the kinks out of his body and sat up in the king sized bed, running a hand over his low cut hair. Without a glance in her direction, he slid out the bed and shuffled towards the bathroom. Alani had been placed in this awkward situation enough times to know that that was her cue to prepare to leave. She robotically stood to her feet and slipped on her clothes from the night before, a white ruffle blouse and a deep green figure hugging pencil skirt. She heard the toilet flush and she quickly grabbed the rest of her belongings, not wanting to endure the uneasy interaction of facing him after a night of animalistic sex. She could've kicked herself for even spending the night. That was not the plan. The plan was to get dicked down and promptly leave. But no, she just had to fall victim to his charming smile and agree to stay under the promise of the two of them going at it again throughout the night whenever they felt the urge. Alani had a moment of weakness but it wouldn't happen again. She knew her place and she understood that women like her weren't afforded such luxuries such as cuddling with a man after they had sex, no matter how relaxed it made her feel.

By the time he emerged from the bathroom, she was clothed and slipping out the door, ignoring him as he called her name. Her bare feet padded down the hallway of the hotel towards the elevator, willing herself to not look back since there was no reason for her to do so.

The moment she entered the elevator, Alani slipped her shoes onto her feet, slightly cringing at the thought of her walking barefoot from the hotel room. She closed her eyes and exhaled, wrinkling her noise at the unpleasant smell of her morning breath combined with her mildly sour body odor. She definitely was in dire need of a shower before she got back on the road.

The tinging of the elevator bell prompted her to open her eyes. A frown marred her pretty face as she observed her reflection in the mirrored wall. On the outside, she appeared normal, despite the dark circles underneath her eyes from the lack of sleep. However, deep down within her soul she felt empty.

Alani Matthews knew she was blessed. She had a great job. She was drop dead gorgeous. She was intelligent thanks to her many years of higher education. Yet, she felt like shit at that particular moment. Every time she left his room, she felt a sense of shame invade her body because dammit she had better sense than this.

Any man would be lucky to be in a relationship with her and claim her as his woman. Yet all he wanted was a simple fuck buddy. Somebody to take his mind off of his problems in the outside world when they were together without getting emotionally attached to him. That was her role, nothing more or nothing less.

However, Alani simply couldn't blame it all on him. She was the one that agreed to the proposition and he didn't force her. She was the one that went to his room the first night, lying to herself that it would only happen once. But before she knew it, one time turned into twenty times which turned into so many times she had lost count by now.

Alani convinced herself the arrangement was perfect. She wasn't looking for anything serious herself. All she wanted to do was work, make money, and have a good time. Anything outside of that was unwarranted. She had tried the relationship thing so many times before and it never worked out in the end. So in a way, it was a win win situation for both of them.

But she still couldn't shake that nagging voice. The voice that constantly whispered she would end up being hurt if she didn't remove herself from her current situation. The voice that reminded her that she, as a woman, was not exempt from developing feelings and she would soon gain some that would not be reciprocated by him at all. However, she shook the thoughts away as soon as they appeared.

By the time she reached the confines of her own hotel room, Alani felt her cell phone vibrate in her hand. She quickly stripped out of her clothes and headed towards the shower to wash the stench of sex off her body. As she adjusted the water temperature to her liking, she glanced at the message awaiting for her.

_'You couldn't even say goodbye?'_

Alani stared at the message for a few minutes, completely dumbfounded on how to respond. Why should she had stayed to say goodbye? Why even put herself through something so uncomfortable? What was she supposed to say if she waited for him to come out the bathroom?_ 'Hey thanks for the fuck. I'll see you at work'_? There was absolutely no reason for her to stay, no reason for her to offer him a goodbye of any sort.

As much as she wanted to deny it, Alani knew it would never truly be goodbye with them. Because she would always end up back in his bed against her better judgement.

* * *

><p>"It's your turn."<p>

Roman groaned as he slightly raised his head, irritably eyeing the baby monitor that sat on the nightstand next to him. Loud baby wails echoed throughout his and Alyssa's bedroom, preventing either parent to fall into a deep slumber that lasted longer than 10 minutes.

"Why does it feel like they've been crying all night?"

"Not they. Just Isaiah. He does this all the time," Alyssa replied. She laid on her back with her eyes closed.

"How do you even know it's Isaiah?"

"Because Ethan is just like you and can sleep through a damn tornado. I bet you he just sleeping peacefully like nothing is going on."

"Is it normal for Isaiah to cry so much?"

"Both of them are healthy so there's nothing wrong. Some babies just cry a lot and Zay is one of them."

Roman exhaled deeply before sitting up and swinging his legs over the bed. He walked out the bedroom and blindly made his way towards the nursery, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The crying was magnified the moment he opened the door, making Roman grimace. He passed Ethan's crib, the baby still sleep like Alyssa predicted and not bothered by his brother's crying. Roman didn't know whether he should feel grateful or jealous at the fact.

"Lil man is it too much to ask for you to give me and your mother at least three hours of sleep?" Roman asked as he picked Isaiah up. He sniffed his diaper to see if he needed to be changed but he didn't. He cradled his tiny body close to him, bouncing slightly to try to soothe the cranky baby. However, the move did nothing but intensify the crying.

"I can't wait for you to get to talking age so you can tell me what's wrong instead of me trying to read your mind."

"Then he won't stop talking."

Roman looked up to see Alyssa walking into the nursery, grasping a bottle. He graciously accepted the bottle and sat in the rocking chair. When Isaiah's tiny lips attached to the bottle, his cries immediately quieted as he enjoyed his meal.

Roman released a relieved sigh. "I don't get it. It seems like we just gave him a bottle," he said.

"I guess he has an appetite like his father." Alyssa giggled as Roman tossed her a playful glare.

The couple stayed silent for a few moments, watching Isaiah finish his bottle. Once he was done, Roman patted his back to burp him which quickly made him fall asleep. Alyssa left the room while the father slowly stood to his feet and placed his son back in his crib, leaning over and kissing his forehead.

Roman walked out the room, the delicious scent of coffee greeting him as he closed the door slightly. He quickly made his way towards the kitchen, smiling gratefully when Alyssa handed him a cup of coffee. A satisfied murmur slipped from his lips as the hot liquid touched his taste buds.

"I think we might as well just wake up now and start our day," Alyssa said as she opened the refrigerator door. She pulled out a pack of turkey sausage and hash browns to cook.

Roman nodded his head in agreement, taking a seat at the breakfast counter. He yawned lowly and stretched his arms over his head. "Did you need help?"

"No I got it. You just try to recover from the lack of sleep."

"I don't see how you do this day in and day out when I'm on the road."

Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and chuckled. "It's not easy. I guess I'm getting used to the weird sleeping patterns and constantly being woken up in the middle of the night. After a while it becomes routine."

Roman watched silently as Alyssa continued to cook breakfast, simply amazed at his wife's demeanor. She appeared as if she had everything under control and wasn't allowing the grueling task of being a mother get to her. Roman knew how much trouble she had transitioning into the motherhood role at first but now it looked like she was an expert.

While Alyssa continued to fix the food, a smile crept onto Roman's face as he thought about the past few months. He was the happiest that he had been in his entire life. It still amazed him how far he had come in the past two years both professionally and personally. From being one of the biggest draws for WWE along with his two best friends to being married to a wonderful wife to being a father to two precious sons, life was good for Roman Reigns. It felt like everything was going right in his world and he considered himself extremely lucky and he was confident that everything was going to get even better moving forward.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" Alyssa asked without glancing up from the skillet she was cooking the sausage in.

Roman chuckled as he stood from his seat. His eyes traveled down the length of Alyssa's body, biting his lips at the peak of flesh from underneath her loose fitting shorts she slept in. No matter how long they had been together, he still got excited whenever he saw her.

"You're amazing. And you're gorgeous. And you're sexy as hell." Roman stopped behind Alyssa and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, placing soft kisses alongside her neck. "But most importantly you're mine," his deep voice rumbled lowly, partially muffled.

Alyssa's cheeks turned a deep crimson shade as another giggle slipped from her lips. "You're such a damn sap."

"I'm just a man in love. Is there something wrong with that?" Roman asked. He spun Alyssa around to look him in the eye, slightly startling her by the sudden movement.

"Not at all." She shook her head with a smile.

Alyssa stood on her tip toes and placed a brief, chaste kiss on Roman's lips, pulling away a few seconds later. She quickly stepped away when Roman tried to scoop her back into his arms, wagging her finger at him.

"Whatever is churning in your mind will have to wait. You know your mother and sisters are in town and coming over to help finalize the plans for the twins' christening."

Roman groaned and rolled his grey orbs as he ran a hand over his face, gesturing to his crotch with the other. "But-"

"But nothing Roman. The christening is coming up soon and the details need to be finalized."

"I just don't understand why there's such a rush to do this."

"Ethan and Isaiah are 8 months old!" Alyssa exclaimed with a laugh. "This is the only time that we could plan it and make sure that you're there since you're always on the road. And your mother is really looking forward to this. Do you want to be the one to tell her that you think it is a waste of time? Because I damn sure ain't doing it."

"No, I guess not," Roman relented with a sigh.

Alyssa smiled smugly, knowing pulling the mother card on Roman would make him change his mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him. "Now I promise I'll properly thank you for your cooperation later on when the boys are sleep, ok?"

"I'm holding you to that promise baby girl," Roman growled before he playfully nipped Alyssa's ear making her squeal in delight.

* * *

><p>Dean's lips curled into a smirk as he leaned against the door frame of his bedroom, watching Alexandria stir her mug of tea, earbuds lodged into her ears. She continued to sing along to the song playing on her phone, swaying her hips to the beat and oblivious to his presence. He bit his bottom lip in appreciation as he eyed the way the form fitting leggings she wore stretched to accommodate her shapely backside. Dean stealthily crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest, making her yelp in shock.<p>

"Dean! You scared the shit out of me!" Alexandria exclaimed. She turned around and glared at her boyfriend as he started to laugh at her outburst. "That isn't funny!"

When he saw she didn't crack a smile, he calmed down and his expression morphed into seriousness. "You're right. It's not funny Alex. But it is hilarious!"

"You ass!" Alexandria harshly slapped Dean in his chest which only made his laughter intensify.

He quickly caught a hold of her wrists and pulled her body closer to his. His arms wrapped around her waist again and his best pitiful puppy dog expression appeared on his face. "Ok I'm sorry for scaring you and making fun. Forgive me?"

"I don't know if I should," Alexandria grumbled. "You're going to have to do a lot of making up to me in order for me to forgive you."

"And what exactly did you have in mind?"

"I don't know." Alexandria moved her arms to ensnare Dean's neck. She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "You're creative. I'm sure you can think of the proper apology."

"Is that so?" Dean asked, raising a brow as he grinned, showing off his dimples. Without another word, he leaned forward and kissed Alexandria hungrily. She quickly grabbed the straps of his undershirt to stop herself from falling backwards. A soft moan filled the kitchen as Dean gripped Alexandria's hips, pulling her body into his so she could feel his engorged penis underneath the gym shorts he was wearing.

Eleven months. The number continued to swirl around in Dean's mind as he kissed Alexandria. He couldn't believe that he had been in a relationship for damn near a year. How did that even happen? Men like him weren't supposed to survive in relationships. Nuclear explosions, sure. High speed chases with the cops? He would so win. Eating 100 hot dogs in 5 minutes? He might puke afterwards but he would be the best damn hot dog eating champion. However somehow he had endured the past several months and was preparing to celebrate his one year anniversary.

The thought of being monogamous to one woman was supposed to make Dean break out into hives, have night tremors before waking up in a cold sweat, and run for dear life. But instead whenever he thought about the last few months he spent with Alexandria, he didn't have an adverse reaction.

He actually felt happiness.

The two of them together in a relationship wasn't supposed to work. But somehow they just fuckin clicked. Dean didn't know how it happened but he managed to stumble upon a woman that didn't grow weary of his antics but instead found them endearing. They accepted each other the way they were but still encouraged one another to become a better person. Dean finally found a woman that GOT him and it felt great to be understood and cared for. He never wanted to let go of this feeling.

Dean pulled away from the kiss to catch his breath and observed Alexandria's face. The smirk that he wore a few seconds ago vanished. "What's wrong?"

Alexandria's eyes popped open and locked onto Dean's curious icy blue orbs. "Nothing's wro-"

"Doll face." The tone of Dean's voice gave off the impression that he knew Alexandria was keeping something from him.

Alexandria dropped her head, toying with the hem of her shirt and shook her head. "I'm fine Dean."

Dean dropped his hands from Alexandria's hips and crossed his arms across his chest, staring at her disbelievingly. She exhaled when she realized he wouldn't drop the issue. "My mother called me today."

Dean's eyes widened. Alexandria hadn't spoken to her parents since the day he crashed the welcome back brunch and her parents didn't make an attempt to call her either. Alexandria tried to act as if she wasn't affected by the lack of communication but Dean could tell that she was somewhat melancholy about the entire situation.

"What happened?"

"She wants me to come home for their annual New Year's Eve party they throw for all of their country club friends. But I promptly told her that shit wasn't going to happen." Alexandria stepped away from Dean and plopped down on his couch, tucking her leg underneath her body. "As long as they have an issue with me picking who I want to be with instead of following their plan and marrying Wesley, I will never step foot back in that damn house."

Dean ran a hand through his unruly auburn hair as he sat next to Alexandria. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder while she took a sip of her tea. "Darling, I think you should go."

Alexandria quickly raised her head to stare at Dean, shock written on her face. "How could you say that after everything my father did to you? Did to us Dean?"

"Just hear me out. Look I don't like your father. I don't like that he tried to manipulate me with shit from my past to break us up. But I don't want the bad vibes between us to prevent you from having a relationship with him. I know what it's like to not have your father in your life and I wouldn't wish that on you Alex."

"You're not the only reason why we don't have a relationship Dean. He doesn't respect any of my decisions and constantly makes snide remarks. He critiques everything I do and say and wear. He's too controlling and I'm tired of that."

"Let him talk Alex. Let him say whatever the fuck he wants to say. I mean what does it matter anyway? Because he's not driving either of us away from one another. He can't threaten to break us up anymore because we won't let that happen. Sooner or later, he's going to realize that you're a grown ass woman and there's nothing he can do to control you anymore. But I think you should be the bigger person. Don't stoop to his level. And don't punish your mother either because it seems like she's trying to make an effort by inviting you," Dean told her.

He intertwined their fingers together and squeezed Alexandria's hand tightly. "I know you think it might be a waste of time. But I remember when I thought the idea of me and Roman becoming friends again was a pipe dream yet you believed there was hope. So here I am telling you I think there's still a chance that you and your parents can get over this. Don't be stubborn like me doll face."

Alexandria released a frustrated sigh and burrowed her face into Dean's chest. "Dammit how did I know you were going to toss that Roman thing back in my face?" she whined.

Dean chuckled and placed a kiss on the top of his girlfriend's head. "I think that's what couples are supposed to do. Make us see when we're wrong when we know the other can do better," he replied. He glanced down at Alexandria, placing his finger underneath her chin and lifting her head so she could stare him in his eyes. "So what are you going to do?"

After a few minutes of silence, Alexandria nodded her head. "Ok I'll go under one condition."

"Which is?"

"You come with me."

Dean's face contorted in disapproval and he shook his head. "Lex I don't know. My presence might start another war between you and your father. Anyway the last time I was there, I did cause a scene that I'm sure he still hasn't gotten over and that people are still gossiping about."

"Fuck them. If my parents want a place in my life they're going to have to accept you as well because you're not going anywhere anytime soon if I have anything to say about it. And I don't give a shit what those snobs from the country club have to say because they won't say it to my face."

Dean's lips tipped upward into a grin. "I like it when you get all feisty like this doll face. Think I'm starting to rub off on you."

Alexandria laughed and shook her head. "Stop trying to change the subject! What do you say? Are you coming? I'm not taking no for an answer."

Dean tilted his head to the side before exhaling. "Fine. I'll go. You're bossy. You know that right?"

Alexandria shrugged her shoulders as she turned around. She straddled Dean's lap, running her hands through his short hair as his own hands caressed her back. He groaned lowly in his throat as she started to grind on his crotch.

"Don't act like it doesn't turn you on Ambrose," Alexandria whispered before her mouth descended on Dean's in a fiery kiss.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Like with "Broken", this story for the most part will only be updated once a week (Real life shit gets in the way you know?) Once again, I don't know if this will be better than the first two stories but I am looking forward to writing it and I hope everyone is looking forward to the ride we're about to take. R&R and let me know what you all think so far.**_


	2. Two

_**A/N: Wow. Thank you all for the overwhelming response for the first chapter. I'm glad you all are excited about this story like I am to write it. Sorry for the late update but real life can be hectic at times. But can we discuss how excited I am for Smackdown on Friday?! If you don't read spoilers then I won't spoil it but that main event...OH BABY! But enough of my babbling. Enjoy Chapter Two.**_

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><p><strong><span>Two<span>**

"Girl, you can't be serious."

Alyssa exhaled as she cradled her cell phone between her head and shoulder while her free hand fished through her purse for her keys. "How many times are you gonna say that Cam?"

"Until it makes sense to me. You mean to tell me that you are choosing to stay home on New Year's Eve instead of celebrating with your two friends?"

"Correction: I'm staying home with my husband and our sons to bring in the new year. You're making it seem like I'll be sitting at home by myself eating a tub of ice cream."

Cameron smacked her lips. "You might as well be! Look, I understand you and Roman can't go out all the time now that the twins are here. But it seems like it's been forever since you've kicked it with your girls. Stop acting like a grandma and act your age and have fun!"

Alyssa rolled her eyes as she finally unlocked the front door and pushed it open. She walked into the kitchen and placed the pizza carton she was carrying on the counter. She wondered why she even picked up the phone to begin with. Sure, there was an ounce of truth that Alyssa's personal life had been somewhat nonexistent since she gave birth to Ethan and Isaiah. With the exception of her weekend with Roman in New York celebrating their anniversary, the new mother barely went out anymore. It wasn't that she thought she was too good to hang out with her friends. It was more so a result of her settling into the life of being a mother and a wife. Gone were the days where she would party until the wee hours of the morning with Naomi and Cameron before they stumbled into the their hotel rooms. She had new responsibilities which caused her to leave her old life behind. Some of her friends understood and accepted her change in lifestyle while others had a much more difficult time.

"These are different times Cam. I'm a mother and a wife now. Now if you want to come over and visit or want to go to lunch then that's fine. But that club hopping lifestyle isn't for me anymore."

"But-"

"How about this. I'm cooking dinner tomorrow. You can come over since Naomi and Jimmy will be here too and we can catch up on all the gossip like we used to do," Alyssa suggested, trying to stop Cameron from complaining.

Cameron exhaled in defeat, realizing she wouldn't be able to change Alyssa's mind. "Fine. What about Alex?"

"Her and Dean went to visit her parents so she's not in town."

Cameron snorted at the mention of Dean. "I'm surprised he's still around."

Alyssa pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a migraine quickly approaching. "Look I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow Cam."

Before her friend could respond, Alyssa quickly ended the call. She dragged a hand through her hair and climbed the stairs to find Roman. The house was unusually quiet and she hoped he was able to handle being home alone with the boys while she ran a few errands to prepare for their night in. Since the beginning of their relationship, this was the first time the two decided to stay home for New Year's Eve. Although it was Roman's idea, Alyssa had to admit part of her was looking forward to not wearing a body hugging dress and shoes that hurt her feet. Staying at home and watching the ball drop while wearing a pair of comfortable pajama pants seemed like the more appealing option.

"There you are." Alyssa smiled as she walked into the nursery.

Roman glanced up at the sound of Alyssa's voice. His own smile appeared on his lips as he sat in the rocking chair, Ethan nestled into his arms. He held his index finger to his lips and gestured to the crib next to him. Alyssa peered inside and watched Isaiah sleeping peacefully. She made her way over to Roman and Ethan, her face lighting up when her eyes locked with her son's.

"How's mama's big man doing?" Alyssa cooed, grabbing the baby from Roman. Her smile widened as Ethan started clapping his tiny hands, excited at the fact his mother was back.

"The moment I manage to get Isaiah to sleep for more than 10 minutes, Ethan wakes up and won't settle down. I think they planned that."

Alyssa giggled. She bounced Ethan on her hip and ran her hand through his curly brown hair and kissed the top of his head. "He just wanted to spend time with his Daddy before you go back on the road. And you should feel accomplished that you were able to get Isaiah to sleep. That's a victory by itself."

Roman nodded his head in agreement as he followed Alyssa out the nursery, softly closing the door behind him so he wouldn't awake Isaiah. It was clear Isaiah was the more rambunctious and energetic baby out of the twins, the one that constantly kept them awake until the early morning hours. The fact he was able to sleep for an extended amount of time gave Alyssa and Roman a much needed break.

The Samoan entered the master bedroom, his gaze falling on Alyssa sitting in the middle of the bed, cradling Ethan's small body in her arms as she quietly spoke to him in baby talk. He truly loved watching Alyssa interact with the twins, the image simply heartwarming. Not only was she in love with their sons like he was, it was obvious that whenever she wasn't around they yearned for their mother as well. The bond between the three was very strong and Roman felt a sense of pride whenever he observed it firsthand.

"You were fine by yourself weren't you?"

Alyssa's soft voice made Roman's head jerk up, his eyes locking with hers. He climbed onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, chuckling. "Gorgeous I told you not to worry about anything and I could handle it."

She turned to face Roman, flashing him a sheepish smile. "I know, I know. It's just this is the first time I left you alone with the kids for an extended amount of time."

"This isn't the first time I've watched babies you know. I am an uncle to like a tribe of nieces and nephews. And as you can see the boys are fine and the house is still standing. So crisis avoided. Relax."

Alyssa exhaled and nodded. She scooted backwards until she was leaning against the headboard next to Roman. He pulled her body close to him, letting her lay her head on his shoulder. His large hand ran down the length of her arm in a soothing manner as she placed a soft kiss on his tattooed bicep.

"Did you finish all your errands?" Roman asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yeah. I also stopped and grabbed us a pizza for dinner since we're staying in. Speaking of, Cameron wasn't too thrilled to hear we weren't going out tonight."

"I know that conversation was a joy to have," Roman joked making Alyssa roll her eyes.

The new mother clicked her tongue against her teeth. "I was five seconds away from cursing her out if she didn't stop her whining. She acts as if I'm purposefully not hanging out with her as if everything is about her. She's getting on my nerves."

"Baby girl maybe she just misses your company."

"If that's the case she has to at least learn to compromise. Come over and visit if I can't get out the house. I can't party like I used to because I have sons to take care of now and it all falls on me since you're on the road a lot. But no. She just wants to whine, whine, and whine. Then she almost started talking mess about Alex and Dean."

"She's still stuck on that?"

Alyssa exhaled. "But I wasn't even to engage her. I just invited her to dinner tomorrow to shut her up and I got off the phone before I lost it." Alyssa glanced up to look at Roman and grinned. "I kept my composure. Aren't you proud?"

Roman chuckled again and nodded. He understood how much it took Alyssa to remain calm when talking to Cameron. The past few months, the two friends seemed to clash a lot whether it was in regards to Cameron constantly trying to guilt trip Alyssa into going out like she did back in the day or because of the diva's disdain for Alexandria's relationship with Dean. Roman did his best to relax Alyssa and diffuse the tension. But it was only a matter of time before the petite diva said or did something that would make Alyssa lash out.

"Good job sweetheart."

"I won't snap this time. But she has one more time to whine about me being too much of a homebody or say off the wall remarks regarding my cousin's relationship. I don't know why she just can't come to terms about the situations. Like why does she always have to complain?"

"Because she's Cameron," Roman replied making his wife agree with a laugh.

Alyssa glanced down and watched as Ethan squirmed in her arms while he quietly slept. To be completely honest, there were times when she wished she could hit the club for a night of fun with her friends. But that simply wasn't her scene anymore and didn't offer her anything. She had everything she could possibly need and want sitting right there in her beautiful house. Alyssa pecked her son's forehead again and turned to face Roman. A blush crept onto her face as she caught him staring at her, adoration twinkling in his charcoal colored eyes.

"Staying home tonight is one of the best ideas you've had handsome. Can't wait to spend the night with my three favorite Samoan men."

Roman grinned and placed his index finger on Alyssa's chin. He lifted her head until their faces were level. Without hesitation, he placed a deep kiss on her mouth. Alyssa moaned against Roman's lips as she looked forward to their quality time bringing in the new year.

* * *

><p>"Rollins, glad you could make it!"<p>

Seth's lips curled into a smirk as his co-worker, Dolph, approached him. The two pounded their fists together. "Thanks for inviting me. I see you went all out for your party," Seth commented. He looked around the large hotel suite Dolph reserved for his New Year's Eve party, impressed.

"Have to bring the new year in with style Rollins! So no special lady with you tonight?"

"Nah man. Not tonight."

"Too many to choose from huh?"

Seth chuckled lightly, shaking his head. Despite the locker room's perception of him, the Iowa native didn't keep girls on standby waiting for him in every city. Sure there were times when he would indulge himself in a quick moment of passion with a willing participant but ever since he ended his prior relationship with his hometown sweetheart several months ago, he hadn't been involved with anybody since then. For the most part Seth's focus was solely on his career and nothing else.

Once The Shield disbanded, all signs pointed to Seth's career ending up in limbo. It was clear Roman was being groomed to be the next face of the company and it was predicted Dean would become of the best heels in the company that fans would love to hate. But Seth was an enigma. There had been plenty of wrestlers before him, with an expansive move set highlighted by high flying moves that looked very promising only to end up floundering in the mid card, no obvious direction for their character in sight. However, that was not acceptable to Seth. He, like Dean, had worked extremely hard in the indy circuit and was determined to become a big name in WWE for years to come.

So Seth worked tirelessly to improve not only as a wrestler but on his character as well. The best thing that could've happened to him was when he turned heel. Everybody always thought once he began his solo career, he would become the ultimate baby face. Nobody believed he could become a credible heel. But he proved them wrong. He flourished in the role and exceeded the expectations of management instead of being lost in the shuffle like some predicted. It was clear he deserved every ounce of praise he received. He may not had won a major singles championship like Roman did, but it was clear his career was headed in the right direction.

The only downside to his newfound success was the fact that his personal life suffered. Every waking moment of Seth's life was dedicated to perfecting his craft and therefore finding a woman to be with wasn't his priority. Of course his mother didn't understand it and often times tried her hand at setting Seth up with one of her friends' daughters much to his chagrin. She simply couldn't see that nothing else mattered to him at that moment except for accomplishing all of his goals.

"I told you I'm not a ladies' man. I'm just really friendly," Seth told Dolph.

"Riiiiiigggghhhhtt," Dolph chuckled making Seth smirk. "But hell the night's still young. I'm sure you'll find somebody to keep you company and help you bring in the new year with a bang." Dolph laughed and slapped Seth on his back heartily.

A knock on the door behind them interrupted their brief conversation. Dolph stepped around Seth to open the door and the two toned hair wrestler walked towards the bar to grab a drink. Ziggler spared no expense and had a large variety of drinks available for his guests to enjoy, ranging from beer to hard liquor to fruity wine coolers for the ladies to enjoy. Seth's chocolate brown orbs darted around the room, looking for a place to settle in to nurse his beer when his gaze fell upon a familiar shapely figure standing alone on the balcony, staring at the breathtaking city skyline. Without a second thought, Seth pushed his way through the crowded suite, greeting a few people, before he ended up in the entry way of the balcony.

"Nice view."

The woman smacked her lips and turned around, her honey brown eyes landing on Seth. She crossed her arms over her chest and rested her weight on one leg. "Something tells me you're not talking about the skyline."

"You're very astute baby cakes."

"Alani."

"What?"

"Alani. My name is Alani. Why can't you simply call me by my fuckin name?"

"I like my terms of endearment better."

Alani pulled a hand through her black hair and exhaled, a deep scowl appearing on her face. "What do you want Mr. Rollins?"

"I thought I told you to skip formalities and call me Seth."

"You betta be glad I don't call you asshole and kick you in your nuts. Now what do you want?"

Seth laughed as he stepped onto the balcony. He propped his body against the banister and smirked at the new backstage interviewer. He took a sip of his beer. "What kind of man would I be if I left such a beautiful woman like you by herself?"

"You would be a man that knows his damn boundaries. But we both know that isn't true and that's why you're here."

"You hate me don't you?"

Alani shook her head while she stared straight ahead, choosing not to glance in Seth's direction with the hope he would leave her alone. "I don't hate anybody. I just don't like you."

Seth gasped playfully and placed a hand on his chest. "But what have I ever done to you toots? I've been nothing but nice since you've got to the main roster."

"Nice?!" Alani whirled around to face Seth and poked him in the chest. "Number one, you never call me by my actual name and continue to address me with demeaning ass nicknames. Number two, you always go off script and say some off the wall shit when I interview you. Number three, ever since you've first seen me, including tonight, you constantly stare at me like a piece of damn meat, foaming at the fuckin mouth. You aren't nice Seth Rollins. You're a fuckin jackass and a perv and I don't like you."

Seth raised his brow at Alani's outburst, trying his best to suppress his smile. "Soon."

"What?"

"Soon enough you'll like me. I guarantee it."

Alani rolled her eyes. "And top of all of that, you're an arrogant prick. Goodbye."

Amusement danced in Seth's eyes as he watched Alani stalk back into the suite, her footsteps heavy with anger and irritation as her tall heels clacked against the ground. Once she disappeared out of his view, Seth turned around and inhaled deeply, relaxing and enjoying the mild breeze that whirled around him. For the most part, Seth was a nice person that didn't intentionally rub people the wrong way, although some believed he was a little too cocky. Yet there was something about Alani Matthews that made him get excited at the idea of pushing her buttons every single chance he got. He enjoyed watching her struggle to keep her cool when she was around him and even liked the few times when her anger boiled over and erupted into an expletive laced tirade directed towards him. It was as if Seth got some type of sick, twisted pleasure out of making her squirm and get angry at him. He should've been concerned at the possibility of the new backstage interviewer slapping the taste out of his mouth for being so damn disrespectful.

But he knew that would never happen, no matter how much she _claimed_ to hate him.

* * *

><p><em>'I really could use a beer and a cigarette right now.'<em>

The thought constantly ran through Dean's mind as he awkwardly sat on the leather couch. His eyes darted around the room at the different older gentlemen staring back at him. They eyed him as if he was some sort of scientific phenomenon, doing their best to make him feel uncomfortable in their presence.

So far, it was working like a charm.

This is what he fuckin got for trying to be the mature and understanding boyfriend. He just had to encourage Alexandria to take the first step towards making amends with her parents, becoming the voice of reason. But of course his girlfriend would have a stipulation. She was slick in that regard and already knew Dean wouldn't deny her anything. So against his better judgment he agreed to accompany her to her parents'. He rather had spent the New Year back in Tampa with his friends, people that actually liked or tolerated him. Instead, he was a sitting duck while the older men surrounded him, disdain permeating their gaze as they stared at him.

Everything was fine when Alexandria and Dean first arrived to her parents' house, the two of them joined at the hip, neither choosing the leave the other. But when Sherman approached them and invited Dean into his study for a drink, their plan of solidarity was shot to hell. To an unknowing person, the invitation may have appeared to be optional. Yet Dean knew it was anything but. He didn't have a choice. He was at Sherman's house at his mercy and if Dean had any ounce of sense, he wouldn't decline the offer. Which is how he ended up in his current predicament with not just Sherman, but with his circle of close knit friends.

There was Phil, the retired judge that played golf with Sherman twice a week. There was also Richard, Sherman's trusted investment broker that was a member of the same fraternity Sherman was a part of. And rounding out the group was George, the prominent local doctor that had been a close family friend ever since Alexandria was born.

But at the head of it all was Sherman, the very successful ad exec that used his power and wealth to get anything he wanted. Except for Dean being removed from his daughter's life. That was one situation he was unsuccessful at manipulating and as he sat in his tall mahogany leather chair, taking occasional sips of his drink, Dean could tell that little fact still pissed Sherman off to this very day. Dean was simply the thorn in his side that he could not get rid of.

It would've been one thing if the four men interrogated him like he was a criminal. Hell that might have been more pleasurable. But they hadn't said anything since he sat down on the leather couch. The silence was driving Dean insane and he wished he could disappear into thin air.

"I take it you're not a fan of the drink?"

Dean's eyes snapped up and locked with Sherman's. The two shared an intense stare with one another before Dean glanced at the glass of scotch sitting beside him on the wooden end table. Any other time, he would've gulped down the drink and demanded seconds. But he wasn't taking his chances with the drink that Sherman had prepared for him by the time he entered the den.

"It's okay. I'm just not trying to drink too much since I'm driving."

Sherman nodded his head, a look of disbelief flashing across his face, knowing the younger man was lying to him. "So I hear you just returned from filming a movie."

Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. He already knew Alexandria didn't share the information with her father and he realized Sherman had still been keeping tabs on him. "Yeah I just returned last month."

"So does that mean you're trying to make the transition from wrestler to straight to DVD movie star now?"

Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the condescending tone of Sherman's voice not being lost upon him. "I enjoy my job and I'm not looking to switch careers at this moment. But maybe after I retire, I'll take a stab at acting."

"Hmm, I see," Sherman replied. He took a sip of his drink and placed the glass down on the table next to him. "So tell me Mr. Ambrose, how does my daughter feel about all of this?"

"About all of what?"

"You know, the possibility of you leaving one dead end career for another? I mean being a movie star isn't very concrete. Some make it while most fail. Have you or Alexandria considered the thought that your plan may fall through? Is she prepared for the life of supporting you when you fall flat on your face?"

"Unlike you Father, I like to look at the glass half full instead of half empty."

Dean internally released a sigh of relief at the sound of Alexandria's voice. He watched as she walked into the den, glaring at her father and folding her arms.

"Alexandria, I thought you were still talking with your mother."

"She had to go speak to a few friends from the country club so I managed to slip away. And I must say I'm impressed. Not even an hour since we got here and you're already lambasting my boyfriend."

"Oh that's nonsense. We were just havi-"

"You know what, save it father. You're not slick and neither are your buddies. You're trying your best to intimidate Dean and it's not going to work. If you can't treat him like a decent human being or with respect, then this will be the last time I step foot back into this house. And you can tell Mom why I refuse to come back home for any major holiday again."

"Alexandria, lower your voice. You're overreacting."

Alexandria turned around and grabbed Dean's hand, pulling him out of his seat as she ignored her father. She lead him to the door, eager to leave the den before she said anything further.

"We actually weren't done with our conversation Alexandria."

"Oh you definitely were finished. I'll just leave you and your goons alone so you can discuss your next unsuccessful scheme to tear me and Dean apart."

Not waiting to hear her father's rebuttal, Alexandria quickly exited the den, Dean following her. The two remained silent as they walked through the house, passing by various guests and waiters. He knew she was fuming on the inside. He hadn't seen Alexandria so fired up since he crashed the welcome back brunch months ago and he immediately felt at fault. He shouldn't have accompanied her but now that he did, it appeared as if the reconciliation between Alexandria and her father was more of a pipe dream than ever.

A few minutes later, Alexandria pushed open a door and entered an empty room. Once Dean stepped inside, he realized they were inside her old bedroom. The decor was the same as it was the last time he seen it but Alexandria appeared as if she had outgrown it. Dean watched quietly as Alexandria walked over to her closet and opened the door. She turned around and handed him two beer bottles, making him smirk.

"I found these earlier in the kitchen. I figured we would need them although I was hoping we wouldn't."

Dean nodded his head and opened both bottles, handing one to Alexandria. "I'm sorry."

Alexandria's brow furrowed in confusion as she sipped her beer. "Why are you apologizing Dean?"

Dean ran a hand on the back of his neck as Alexandria sat down on her cushioned window seat, reclining backwards. Her maxi length black halter evening gown grazed the wooden floor.

"If I didn't come then that wouldn't have happened. I knew this was a bad idea."

Alexandria chuckled wryly and shook her head. "Honey, it was a bad idea for me to come here too. My mother wants to fix this fractured relationship between me and my father but there's no point. Silly me for actually thinking my father would be able to act like an adult and let bygones be bygones. But the first damn chance he got, he's running you down again," Alexandria said, smacking her lips. "So there's nothing for you to be sorry for Dean. If anything I owe you an apology for subjecting you to this once again."

Dean took a gulp of his beer before he walked towards Alexandria, taking a seat behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "It's not your fault Lex."

"I should've known better. This was a waste of a damn trip."

"What happened to you looking at the glass half full and not half empty?" Dean questioned with a smile. "We shouldn't let your father ruin our trip. We'll be here for a couple of more days. Let's just make the best of it."

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

"I say we do whatever we fuckin want to do. We could go sightseeing. You can show me around town to the places that you visited when you were younger. I always wanted to know more about you and your past and this is the perfect way to do it. Or we could just stay in the hotel and order food that I shouldn't be eating and catch up on your trashy reality shows and fuck all day long," Dean suggested causing Alexandria to laugh and elbow him lightly in the ribs.

"You're a perv Ambrose."

"If that's not the pot calling the kettle black," Dean joked with a cheeky grin. "In all seriousness doll face, we shouldn't let your father ruin our trip. We both knew that he would probably pull some shit like this. We knew he would take any chance he got to talk down to me. But like I told you before, I don't care. I don't care what he thinks about me because I know at the end of the day, you'll still be with me. That's all that fuckin matters."

Alexandria turned her head slightly and peered into Dean's steely blue irises, her frown slowly melting away. She dragged her fingers through his messy hair. "You know, you were wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"You always claimed you weren't good at this boyfriend role and that's why you strayed away from relationships. But I think you're pretty damn great."

Alexandria smiled as she watched a crimson blush creep onto Dean's cheeks. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to Dean's in a soft kiss. His hold on her waist tightened as he returned the gesture. The sensation of Alexandria's plush lips against his sent shockwaves through Dean's body, the hairs on the back of his neck standing with each passing second. His loud growl ripped through the room the moment Alexandria nipped Dean's bottom lip, prying his mouth open. Her tongue slipped inside and tangled with his, intensifying the kiss.

Dean quickly pulled away. "Those are the type of kisses that get you in trouble," he told his girlfriend.

Alexandria giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "Trouble can be fun."

"Not when I can't do anything since we're at your parents' house."

"Who says you can't?"

Dean's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Alexandria. "Lex you can't-"

The statement died on Dean's lips as Alexandria stood up and walked towards the door. With a twist of her wrist she locked the door and turned to face Dean, a mischievous glint in her brown orbs to match the taunting smirk on her face.

* * *

><p><em>'Egotistical asshole,'<em> Alani mumbled to herself as she took a sip of her white wine. She stared at the glossy bar top and inwardly counted to twenty, attempting to calm her nerves as she thought about her latest run in with the self proclaimed future of the WWE, Seth Rollins.

Alani didn't know what it was about the man but he just rubbed her the wrong damn way. Ever since their first interaction with one another when she interviewed him for a backstage segment months ago, Rollins had went out of his way to antagonize her. The smarmy smirks he would toss in her direction combined with the annoying nicknames he anointed her with made her want to rip his hay looking hair out of his scalp.

There might have been a few people backstage she didn't particularly care for but none made her blood boil more than Rollins. Maybe it was his cocky demeanor that she didn't like. Sure from the matches she caught glimpses of, he appeared to be a decent in ring performer. But that certainly didn't give him the right to behave as if he could talk to people any kind of way. Being a newbie on the main roster, Alani was doing everything she could to fly under the radar and not piss anybody off. But if Mr. Money In The Bank continued to push her buttons, she wasn't afraid to tell him the fuck off.

"You know you have a bad habit."

The deep, smooth voice caused an undetectable shiver to trail down Alani's spine, her body instantly stiffening. The woodsy scented cologne wafted through her nostrils as the tall male figure leaned over, the man resting his weight against the bar. Alani stared straight ahead as she took another sip of her wine, her hand slightly shaking.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why do you always leave without saying goodbye?"

"Didn't know I was required to announce when I was leaving."

"Well it would be polite of you."

A short, humorless laugh slipped from Alani's full lips. "Well we both know I've never been one to have perfect etiquette."

A smirk appeared on the man's face as his eyes wandered over Alani's curvy frame. Without looking at him, she could feel him studying every curve that was covered by the pair of dark washed skinny jeans and jade colored blouse that was slightly unbuttoned revealing the top of her well endowed breasts.

"You're something else Ms. Matthews. Very feisty both in public and in private."

Against her better judgment, Alani lifted her head and locked eyes with him. He gazed at her as if he adored her but she knew the truth. He may have lusted for her but his feelings never developed into anything deeper than that and never would. That's the way it had been since the beginning of their arrangement and she knew it wouldn't change anytime soon.

"What do you want?"

"Just came over to invite you back to my room for a quick night cap."

Alani shook her head. She had an early flight the next morning to return home and she couldn't miss it, despite her desire to skip the trip altogether. Not only that but her mind was screaming at her that accepting his invitation would lead to nothing but trouble.

"I don't thi-"

"Just one drink. Then you can leave. I promise that I won't try any funny business."

Alani rolled her eyes and chuckled again. "I don't know whether I should be amused or insulted at how stupid you think I am. Just say what you want and stop beating around the bush. It would save us both a lot of time."

"Why can't you just accept that maybe I want to spend time with you in private? Why do you always think I'm only after sex?"

Alani downed the rest of her wine and stood to her feet, dropping her money on the bar. She turned so she was completely facing him and placed a hand on his muscular chest that was covered in a grey button up shirt. Alani leaned close to his ear.

"Because Randy if all you wanted was to have a drink with me and talk, your dick wouldn't be hard as a rock right now," Alani whispered.

She stepped away and watched his eyes darkened with lust. Before he could respond, she brushed past him and walked out the bar. Part of her celebrated the fact she didn't give into Randy's advances and held her ground.

But the other part of her knew before the night was over, he would be plowing into her showing no mercy.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: For those who predicted Alani's mystery man to be the Viper, Randy Orton, were correct! I also added the collage for this story as well. So thoughts/comments about Chapter Two? R&R :-)_**


	3. Three

_**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews to Chapter Two. Sorry for the wait time between chapters but 1. benova13 got me adding extra scenes and 2. My birthday was on yesterday so that kinda took precedent. But I was able to finish this chapter before I continue my birthday celebrations so here we are. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Three<span>**

Dean pulled into a parking spot and killed the ignition. He turned to face Alexandria, observing as she stared out the window at the scenery surrounding them. It was their last day in Georgia before the two of them flew back to Tampa. Although their trip started off horribly with the visit to Alexandria's parents' house, the remainder of it definitely made up for it. The two spent the last few days holed up in their hotel room and spending some much needed quality time with one another. It felt good to be by themselves after being apart to due to Dean's hectic schedule. If it was up to Alexandria she would've remained in the bed until their checkout time the next day. But Dean woke her up bright and early at 10 that morning (which was surprising since he rarely woke up before noon on his days off), instructing her to show him to the places she used to frequent as a child.

Alexandria was surprised by the request. Despite being together for almost a year, the two of them didn't know much about one another's past. Alexandria didn't push Dean for too much information because she knew the topic was a sensitive one for him and in her mind it didn't matter what happened in his past, because it had no bearing on the person he was today. However, the fact that he was so interested in what she was like when she was younger made her beam. From the outside looking in, one would think that all Dean and Alexandria did was have wild and crazy sex. But deep down, there was more to their connection. They may not have known each other as long as her other friends knew their significant others but that didn't change how either of them felt about each other.

"You okay?"

Dean's voice cut through Alexandria's daydream. Her eyes locked with his and she nodded. She watched as he exited the car and lightly jogged to her side. He helped her step out the car, his muscular arms immediately wrapping around her slender waist.

"I was just thinking about how I don't wanna leave. This is the most relaxed I've been in a while."

"I know. But I think your cousin would kick both of our asses if we missed Ethan and Isaiah's christening."

Alexandria giggled. "She definitely would. And anyway the God Father has to be present."

Dean cleared his throat nervously. "I just hope I don't get struck down the second I walk into the church."

"You won't get struck down Dean," Alexandria assured him. "Anyway after the things we did these past few days, I would get struck down right along with you."

Dean's raspy laugh filled the air as he pulled Alexandria closer to him, his large hands grabbing her butt. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, groaning when she pushed him against the passenger door of the rental car. Her hands gripped his short hair and she parted her lips slightly, her moan flowing out her mouth and into his. The sun beamed down on the couple as they continued to kiss, ignoring the people that walked by and gawked at them. Alexandria was sure somebody who knew her father would see her damn near devouring Dean's face and she could care less. Matter of fact, her new feisty side hoped they would take a picture and show it to her father to prove to him her and Dean weren't breaking up anytime soon.

"We betta quit before we give one of these old ladies a heart attack," Dean warned as he pulled away. He nipped Alexandria's lip and grinned.

"They're just jealous they don't have a man that's sexy like mine." Alexandria winked at Dean and grabbed his hand. The couple started to walk down the street.

"So this is the last stop on the Alexandria Stewart childhood tour?"

Alexandria nodded. They had already visited her old grammar school, the church she used to sing at every Sunday, and the used bookstore she always visited on Saturdays. There was only one more place that was a mainstay in her childhood and that meant the most to her.

"So remember how I told you how I didn't want to become an accountant but it was kinda forced upon me by my parents?"

Dean nodded his head. "Yeah you said you wanted to be a dancer. But they said there was no money in that and they would be dammed if you became a stripper."

Alexandria rolled her eyes at the memory, biting her tongue to stop herself from getting angry. They approached a one story brick building and opened the door, walking inside. "Well this is the place that first helped me fall in love with dancing. The first dancing studio I went to when I was a little girl."

Curious blue eyes wandered around the corridor, examining the decor. Dean felt like a giant inside the building since the ceilings weren't very high and it was somewhat bare. He watched as Alexandria greeted the receptionist near the entrance, holding a quiet conversation with her. With the exception of the basic white paint on the walls that was slightly chipped and the outdated furniture, the space appeared to be in good shape. Alexandria suddenly grabbed Dean's hand and dragged him down the hall.

"This was the studio where my class was held," she informed him while she pushed a door open. She flicked on the light revealing a small studio. One wall was mirrored, a barre sitting in front of it. A fan was attached to the ceiling and a small window was on the opposite wall.

Dean leaned against the doorframe and watched as Alexandria walked inside the room. She dragged her hand along the barre and twirled around in a small circle. Her eyes twinkled as she looked in her reflection before turning around and catching Dean staring at her.

"Dancing was so graceful to me. Gave me the opportunity to push all thoughts and worries out of my mind and just focus on the movements."

"What kind of dancing did you do?"

"Pretty much of everything. Ballet, tap, contemporary. I wanted to try some hip hop but I already knew my parents weren't going for that shit," Alexandria said with a chuckle. "There's a larger room down the hallway where I had my first recital at. I was 9 and I was so nervous I thought I was gonna piss on myself in the middle of the show. But once I got out there, it seemed like all of my fears evaporated and I just danced. Gave it my all and left it on the stage. A lot of people were shocked I was able to perform in front of such a large audience because I was so introverted when I was younger. But when I danced, I turned into a different person."

"So you doing the burlesque dance for me was kinda up your alley?"

A crimson blush crept onto Alexandria's cheek as she nodded. "I still remember when I told Alyssa my idea. She thought I would chicken out but I proved her wrong. Preparing for that performance kinda reminded me of rehearsing when I was younger."

Alexandria slid down the wall and crossed her long legs as she sat on the hardwood floor. Dean moved from his spot and sat next to her, lacing their fingers together. She laid her head on his shoulder and the two of them stared at their image in the mirror.

"My dream was to go to a performance arts school to major in contemporary dance. Then travel the world dancing and entertaining people once I was done with school."

"But your parents stopped that?"

"Yeah. They told me it wasn't an acceptable profession for someone of my pedigree. They didn't care it made me happy or it was my life. They just wanted me to carry out the dream they created for me."

The couple fell silent as a couple of tears trailed down Alexandria's face. Dean's grip on her hand tightened, fury growing inside of him at the sight of his girlfriend crying.

"What about now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you've finally removed yourself from your parents' authority and are making decisions for your own life. So what's stopping you from getting back into dancing?"

Alexandria chuckled and shook her head. "I'm totally not in dancing shape."

"I think your shape is marvelous darling."

"Of course you do perv," Alexandria joked, lightly punching him in the shoulder with her free hand. "Anyway, I'm content with my life right now. I actually enjoy my job for the most part and me becoming a dancer would make it harder to spend time with you as well. And we don't want that do we?"

"We don't. But I would support you regardless," Dean told her honestly.

A wide grin spread across Alexandria's lips at the statement. She loved how supportive Dean was of her, the thought making her stomach do a weird flopping sensation. She tilted her head upwards and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"That's sweet honey. Look at Roman rubbing off on you and turning you into a sap."

Dean scowled at Alexandria making the younger woman laugh. "If you tell anybody, I'll deny it til my last breath."

"Your secret is safe with me Ambrose." She held her hand up in a scout's honor pose. "So what about you? Any hobbies before wrestling consumed your life?"

"Unless you count trying to survive on the streets a hobby then no, not really."

Alexandria frowned. While she was busy getting upset for how her parents micromanaged her life as a child, she had forgotten that Dean was pretty much his own parent while growing up. She resented her parents for forcing their ideals and expectations on her but at least she had parents. Dean spent the majority of his youth without a reliable adult presence and had a much rougher childhood. She immediately felt foolish.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up your childhood."

"It's okay Lex. I'm at the point in my life now where I can talk about it and not get pissed off thinking about it. I know I don't talk about it much but I don't want you to be afraid of asking me questions about my past. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."

"Really?" Alexandria's eyes sparkled.

Dean nodded and stood up. He helped Alexandria stand and tossed his arm over her shoulder before they walked out the room. The old Dean would've balked at the idea of sharing such intimate details of his life with a woman. But he wanted Alexandria to know all about him, from what his favorite cartoon was growing up to the first time he got into a fight at school. He was slowly getting rid of the nagging feeling that she would leave him once she figured out the true him. By him confiding in her about his past, it was a signal of him taking a leap of faith with the Georgia native.

"I'll tell you what. One of these days, we'll go back to Cincinnati and I'll take you on my own tour of my old stomping grounds. Just make sure you carry a shank on you to protect you at all times. And don't wear the khaki pants you have on now."

Alexandria stopped walking and looked at her beige pants. She looked back at Dean. "What's wrong with my pants?"

"You look like the president of the Math Club doll face."

"I was the secretary. And we were called the Mathletes. Thank you very much."

Dean chuckled and shook his head. "That really doesn't surprise me at all. But word of advice: don't tell nobody else that okay?"

Alexandria pushed him in the shoulder, making his laughter intensify. Dean grabbed her hand and pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on her temple before they continued to walk towards the exit.

* * *

><p>Golden brown irises fluttered open before quickly closing as the unapologetic sun streamed through the hotel room window, exacerbating the pounding headache that currently assaulted her. A few seconds passed before she tried prying her eye open again, turning her head to the other side. Once her gaze fell upon the freshly shaven face, a soft sigh fell from her lips.<p>

_'Same shit, different day,'_ Alani thought to herself.

While she watched Randy sleep peacefully beside her, Alani realized that she was the true glutton for punishment. She constantly did the same shit over and over and over again despite knowing deep down inside what was happening was wrong on so many levels. How did she allow herself to even get involved with Randy? Sure he was a very attractive and charming man but dammit that was not an acceptable excuse. But as much as she tried, nothing could disrupt the trance Randy had her under.

Alani shook her head and climbed out the bed, wrapping her naked body in the crisp white blanket. As she shuffled towards the bathroom, she wondered how did things ever get as fucked up as they were now. Never in a million years would she had thought she would be in this predicament. Yet here she was.

It seemed as if it were just yesterday when she met WWE superstar, Randy Orton. Alani was working as a cocktail waitress at a nightclub in New Jersey, trying to pay off the student debt she accumulated once she graduated from college. The job offers weren't flowing in like she had hoped and at that point she was just desperate for some type of income. She hated her job and hated dealing with the different men openly groping her under the guise of _'being too drunk to know what they were doing'_. But if it meant she got a hefty tip from them, then she swallowed her anger for six hours and flashed a seductive smile as if everything was alright.

The night Randy came to the club with other WWE superstars, Alani wasn't even supposed to be there. She had did one of her co-workers a favor and came in on her off night since the other woman couldn't secure a baby sitter. The moment she approached the VIP table carrying the bottle of liquor that cost more than her entire outfit, Randy instantly took a liking to her. While she engaged in small talk with the other wrestlers, she could feel his eyes boring a hole into her. Not once did he say anything but she knew he was interested. But Alani wouldn't dare approach him. She was there to do a job and that was all. Anything else wasn't on her radar.

Alani didn't see Randy again until two months later. She was on her way to work and as she approached the back entrance of the club where all the employees entered, there he stood. Thinking he was waiting on somebody else, Alani tried to walk around him and enter the nightclub when she felt a hand clamp down on her arm. Before she could curse him out for touching her, Randy smoothly introduced himself and got straight to the point, inviting her to dinner.

Alani remembered staring at Randy wondering if he was joking. It wasn't often that a man in well tailored clothing invited her to dinner out the blue and she immediately became weary of the offer. But once Randy flashed her a smile, she agreed despite the tiny voice in her head telling her to go to work.

Dinner between the two was not as awkward as she believed it would be surprisingly. The conversation flowed effortlessly and it was apparent how charming Randy was. He was confident without being too cocky. He stared at her with an intensity that made her squirm in her seat that no other man had been able to do before. And his voice flowed through her ears like butter, making her clench her thighs together. As she sat across from him, daydreaming about how his lips would feel against hers, Alani couldn't help but thank the heavens above for making her cross paths with Randy once again.

Alani was having the best time of her life that night. That was, until Randy unceremoniously dropped a bombshell on her.

_"I have to admit I was kinda apprehensive to coming out with you tonight," Alani told Randy before she took a sip of her sparkling water._

_"Really? Why is that?"_

_"Because I don't know you. For all I know you could be some serial killer or serial rapist waiting to drug me and have your way with me before disposing my body parts all across the east coast." _

_Randy's deep chuckle filled the air, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement. "You have a very vivid imagination."_

_"I'm from New Jersey. I just learned how to be very cautious and on guard at all times," Alani clarified. "That and I watch a lot of SVU."_

_Randy smirked and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. "And what about now?"_

_"Now I'm glad I took a chance. I had a great time tonight."_

_"I'm happy to hear that. I'm enjoying myself too. But Alani, there's something I have to tell you because I don't want to hide anything from you."_

_"Okay. What would that be?"_

_Randy exhaled and dragged a hand over his face. Alani watched him with a bated breath, feeling her heart pounding in her chest, her leg bouncing slightly underneath the table._

_"I'm kinda involved with someone."_

_Alani blinked her eyes, trying to comprehend the words she just heard. She stared at Randy, her smile quickly falling. "What does kinda involved mean exactly? Either you have a girlfriend or you don't."_

_"It's not that simple."_

_"It actually is. Do you have a girlfriend?"_

_Randy bit the inside of his jaw before he nodded. Alani scoffed and shook her head, grabbing her purse from the floor to leave. Of course she would pick the man that was taken. Of course she would._

_"Wait, please don't leave." Randy grabbed Alani's hand to stop her movements._

_"There's no reason for me to stay Mr. Orton. You're in a relationship and yet you're out with me, flirting with me. You should be ashamed of yourself," Alani admonished, yanking her hand away from Randy's grip._

_"Please just let me explain."_

_"There's nothing to explain."_

_"Alani just give me a chance to tell you my side and if after that you want nothing to do with me then I'll respect your decision."_

_Alani turned her head away from Randy's, her conscience battling with her. There was nothing he possibly could say that would make her feel sympathetic towards him. She had been on the receiving end of being cheated on multiple times and that shit wasn't fun at all. If anything, she felt sympathy for his girlfriend that was waiting for him back home, none the wiser to her boyfriend's womanizing ways. A role Alani herself was all too familiar with._

_Despite her mind imploring her not to, Alani turned to look into Randy's eyes. Her resolve slowly crumbled as he gazed at her. She exhaled and crossed her arms. "Speak."_

_Randy sighed in relief and began to pour his heart out to Alani. According to him, him and his girlfriend were currently going through a rough patch. They were high school sweethearts but the love they once shared for each other was disintegrating due to him barely being home due to his hectic schedule for WWE. However he couldn't bring himself to end things because they had so much history between them and he desperately wanted to work things out._

_But the night he walked into the club months ago, everything changed._

_Randy claimed the moment he saw Alani, he knew there was something about her. Some inexplicable force that drew him to her. Despite his best efforts to be the faithful and loving boyfriend to his girlfriend, his thoughts were constantly plagued with Alani. Everything from the way the fitted black dress she wore that night hugged her curves in all the right places, the way her eyes twinkled when she smiled, and her soft and sultry giggle infiltrating his ears like a seductive symphony. He tried to forget about her but he just couldn't and before he knew it, he was on a flight to New Jersey hoping to catch her again at the club. When he finally did see her, he vowed to himself to take a chance and invite her to dinner, unwilling to let her slip through his fingers again._

_Once Randy finished talking, silence surrounded the two as Alani stared at him blankly. She reached for her glass and took a sip before placing it back on the table. "How exactly am I supposed to respond to that?" she asked._

_Randy shrugged his shoulders. "However you want to."_

_"You know what I think? I think you believe you're being an upstanding man. I mean you did let me know from jump that you're taken. You're basically telling me that this night can't develop into a relationship since you are kinda involved with someone and all. So if I start having feelings for you, it's not your fault because you warned me. Matter of fact, it would be my fault because I should've known my place." A short, wry laugh fell from Alani's lips and she shook her head. "You must feel proud of yourself. Give yourself a round of applause."_

_"Alani," Randy sighed. "I just wanted to be honest with you. I'm hoping that we can be somewhat cordial to each oth-"_

_"Bullshit. You just want to fuck," Alani interrupted._

_Randy lowered his head, choosing not to respond. Taking his silence for the only answer she needed, Alani quickly grabbed her purse and walked out the restaurant. She pulled her short coat close to her frame as the wind assaulted her the moment she stepped outside. Her leather boots clacked against the concrete as she looked around for a taxi. Maybe if she hurried, she could still make it into work and work half of her shift. How stupid of her to ditch an opportunity to make money she desperately needed to go out on a date with a cheating bastard like Randy Orton._

_Eyeing a yellow taxi driving towards her, Alani raised her hand to hail it. Another hand clamped onto her wrist and twirled her around. Blazing brown eyes locked onto Randy's intense blue orbs. Alani opened her mouth to demand he release her when he placed a smoldering kiss on her lips. After trying to fight him off for the first few seconds, Alani quickly succumbed to pleasure, every logical thought disappearing from her mind. All she could focus on was how heavenly Randy's lips felt on hers. How skillful his tongue was. How moist her panties were becoming. How impressive his erection felt pressed against her thigh._

_The moment the two parted to breathe, Randy stepped off the curb and opened the door of the cab that was waiting. He held out his hand for Alani, silently asking her for her decision. She stared at his outstretched hand, weighing her options. There were some women content with being the side chick. Celebrities were known to always have groupies on call in different cities and a wrestler was no different. Women that accepted the role felt like they weren't doing anything wrong. They weren't the ones stepping out of their committed relationships. They had no obligations to anybody but themselves. If anybody should've felt guilty, it should've been the men that were in the actual relationships._

_But dammit she was a good person. She never lied. She never cheated. She just worked hard and kept to herself, knowing if she didn't step on anybody's toes, she would get far in life. Well at least that's what she was constantly told. But as Alani stood there, she realized that being the good girl didn't always equate to happiness. Because she could honestly say she wasn't happy. She was a broke, college graduate that was currently nursing a broken heart at the hands of her ex. Her days consisted of dodging bill collectors and being groped by men that were old enough to be her father. So far, being a good person wasn't doing shit for her. _

_Alani placed her hand in Randy's larger one. It was time that she stopped being concerned about what others felt or expected from her, and did something she wanted to do for once no matter the consequences. He quickly ushered her inside the cab before t__he resounding sound of the door slamming shut echoed in her ears._

Alani stepped out the shower and wrapped a towel around her body, glancing around. As she started her hygiene routine, she thought about how the past several months of being Randy's side chick introduced her to a life that she could only dream about. Ever since she was younger, Alani aspired to be a television host on shows like Extra and Access Hollywood. Mere months after sleeping with Randy, he managed to open doors for her that she couldn't do herself and pull some strings to get her a job as an on air personality for WWE. Although it wasn't like the shows she dreamed about as a young girl, it was close enough and she couldn't be happier to finally put her days of cocktail waitressing behind her. Nobody within the company knew of the true nature of Randy's relationship with Alani and that's how she wanted to keep it. Although she was excellent at her job, she knew the moment somebody learned she was sleeping with a top superstar, her abilities would be called into question.

Despite the fact Randy was cheating on his girlfriend with her, Alani would be eternally grateful to Randy. It was because of him she went from barely making ends meet to appearing on a popular weekly television program and visiting cities she never thought she would before. Who knows where she would be at that moment if she hadn't gotten in that cab with Randy. Hell she didn't even want to think about the other possibilities.

Alani's body flinched slightly when she felt arms wrap around her torso. She released a shaky breath. "Almost gave me a heart attack Randy."

"Come back to bed," Randy mumbled as he buried his face into the crook of Alani's neck. He pecked her softly and rubbed his face against her skin.

"Can't. I already rescheduled my flight to go back home and I'm not doing it again."

"Postpone your plans and spend the day with me. You know you want to."

Alani bit her bottom lip as she applied moisturizer to her face. Part of her wasn't opposed to staying in the bed all day and having Randy fuck her brains out. But the responsible side of her knew she had to get back to Jersey that afternoon and he had to get back to St. Louis.

"I have things to do. And you have to get back to your girlfriend."

An irritated exhale left Randy's lips at the mention of the woman patiently waiting for him back at his home. He dropped his arms from his lover's waist. Alani watched in the mirror as he stepped away and folded his arms across his chest, dressed in only a pair of black boxer briefs that barely concealed his erection.

"Why do you always bring her up?"

"Because she's your girlfriend."

"I'm well aware of that fact."

"Are you sure? Because if you were you definitely wouldn't had suggested we get back in the bed and have sex for the rest of the day."

Randy rolled his eyes and dragged his hand over his face. "Alani-"

Alani held up her hand and shook her head, stopping him. "I'm just saying. I know my role in this little arrangement of ours but it seems like you continue to forget it. We had our fun last night. But now it's back to reality. You go your way and I'll go mine. And then on Thursday night we'll return and start the cycle all over again," Alani told him before turning on her heel and walking past Randy and out the bathroom.

* * *

><p>"God, I need a drink," Alyssa whined as she plopped into the empty patio chair, her body slumping forward.<p>

Naomi chuckled and rubbed her friend's back soothingly. "I take it you're exhausted Mom?"

"Exhausted is an understatement." Alyssa lifted her head and smiled graciously at Cameron as she handed her a wine cooler. She cracked it open and took a long swig, sighing satisfactorily. "I'm glad this christening is over."

"And my handsome baby cousins behaved themselves. I just can't get over how adorable they are," Alexandria gushed, thrusting her phone towards Alyssa.

A wide smile spread across Alyssa's lips as she looked at the picture of Naomi and Dean holding the twins earlier. She swiped through the pictures, her eyes lighting up once she saw a picture of her, Roman, Dean, and Alexandria with the twins, happy expressions etched onto her sons' faces. The christening was over and was a success. Both twins were able to make it through the end without getting too cranky despite being up very early in the morning to get ready. Now that the event was over, Isaiah and Ethan were sleeping in the nursery with Roman's parents watching them while the exhausted new parents sat on their patio catching up with their friends.

"I'm surprised Isaiah was able to not cry during the entire thing like he does at night," Alyssa said with a chuckle. "I'm happy to settle down now though. I feel like I've been missing out on everything while I was planning it."

"Yeah you sure did forget about us since you started playing housewife," Cameron quipped, clicking her tongue against her teeth.

"Well she is a married woman with twin sons. Of course her life is going to change." Alexandria rolled her eyes at Cameron and turned back around to face Alyssa.

Alyssa bit the inside of her lip to stop from laughing at Alexandria's newfound fiery demeanor and straightened her posture. "Well get me up to speed y'all. What's been going on?"

"Well the trip to Georgia was good. I took Dean on a special tour of my hometown and he managed to survive the visit to my parents' place although my father was a jackass. But he didn't try to poison him and to celebrate, Dean and me had a christening of our own in my old bedroom if you catch my drift." Alexandria wiggled her eyebrows.

"EW! TMI HEFFA!" Cameron exclaimed as Alyssa and Naomi burst into laughter. "I don't understand how you even have sex with him. He always looks like a wet and mangy dog."

Alexandria glanced over her shoulder towards where Dean was standing, talking with Roman, Seth, and Jimmy. She turned back around and faced her friends, smirking. "My man is fine thank you very much. And the sex is fan-fucking-tastic."

Naomi turned to face Alyssa. "I remember when your cousin was sweet and wholesome. What happened to her?"

"Dean turned her the fuck out that's what happened," Alyssa replied with a shake of her head. She took another swig of her drink. "That's what happens when you get that Grade A dick."

"Grade A+++," Alexandria corrected as she took a sip of her own glass of wine. "Can't believe it took me so long to lose my virginity. Now that I have, I can't keep my hands off of him!" Alexandria turned to face Cameron. "You should be proud. You are the one that encouraged me to let loose and stop being a prude."

"I would be proud if it was with anybody but Ambrose," Cameron said, disdain dripping from her tone. "Seriously Lex, you can do better."

Naomi and Alyssa shared a nervous glance with one another. It was no secret that Cameron and Dean didn't get along particularly well and only tolerated one another for Alexandria's sake. However, that didn't stop Cameron from getting her own jabs in about Dean when the opportunity presented itself.

"Girl, why are you so upset? I'm finally happy. I'm enjoying life. And yet you're still being a downer about everything?"

"I just don't trust him."

"Well I do." Alexandria poked a finger into her chest for emphasis. "And that's all that fuckin matters. So if you're gonna be my friend, I suggest you accept my decision and drop this constant bashing of my boyfriend. Or else you're going to join my shit list along with my father."

The two women stared at one another while Naomi and Alyssa's eyes darted between them. Not only did being with Dean turn Alexandria into a more sexually liberated woman but it gave her an air of confidence that she didn't have once before. Instead of shying away from confrontation, she stood her ground, unwilling to let anybody push her around like they her parents once did. There was no way Alexandria was going to let anybody talk badly about Dean in her presence whether they were family, friend, or foe.

Cameron held up her hands in surrender and grinned. "Ok girl. I'll quit. No need to get all tough with me. If you're happy, I'm happy."

Alexandria's shoulders relaxed and a smirk appeared on her face. "Good to know."

"So, what's going on at work?" Alyssa asked, quickly changing the subject so the mood could lighten up again.

"Nothing much. It's pretty calm but that's going to change once the Rumble happens," Naomi responded. "A few people got called up including this new backstage interviewer, Alani."

"Yeah I've seen her a few times when I watched Raw. She seems good."

"She's alright. Nothing really special about her if you ask me," Cameron commented with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Alexandria rolled her eyes once again and turned to face Cameron. "Looks like somebody drank a lot of haterade before they came over today. You don't like anybody."

"I'm just saying. She's just there. There's really no charisma about her. She'll probably fall flat on her face before it's all said and done. Not only that but she walks around like she's all that when she's not. She's too damn full of herself."

"If that ain't the pot calling the kettle black," Alexandria muttered quietly making Cameron flip her the bird.

"I've spoken to her a few times and she didn't come off that way. She's probably just shy because she doesn't know anybody so that's why she keeps to herself," Naomi said with a shrug.

"Well I'll get a chance to form my own opinion of her when I return. Guess who'll be returning to work at the Rumble bitches!" Alyssa threw her hands in the hair excitedly and wiggled in her chair.

"That's wonderful! Because those other makeup artists and hairstylists don't know what the hell they are doing!" Naomi exclaimed, clapping her hands happily.

"Heffa when the hell were you gonna tell us?"

"I just hammered out the details with Stephanie today and had to square everything away with Patty so she can watch the boys while I'm gone. Everything had to fall in place first before I told y'all."

"Told them what?" Roman asked as he approached the table, the other men following him. He leaned over and placed a kiss on Alyssa's temple and traced her neck with his fingertips.

Alyssa turned to face him, grinning. "When I was returning to work. I'll be at Royal Rumble."

"Oh. So you made the decision without talking to me about it first?"

"No, remember I told you how Stephanie called me but I had to figure out who was going to watch the boys. Your mom agreed to watch them and I was gonna tell you after the chaos died down from today."

"So now my mother has agreed to watch the twins for 3 days a week while you return to work?" Roman crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"Oh shit," Dean mumbled lowly as he took a seat next to his girlfriend, feeling the atmosphere shift. He winced when Alexandria slapped him in the chest.

Alyssa stood to her feet and turned to face Roman, her stance mirroring his while she tried to remain calm. She could tell by the tone of Roman's voice and the look in his eyes, he wasn't too keen on the idea. "Yes. We talked about this Ro. And Patricia said she has no issue with it because she wants to spend more time with the boys."

"I just thought you would stay home and take care of Zay and Ethan while I was on the road. You're my wife now so you don't have to worry working anymore gorgeous."

Alyssa chuckled wryly. "And what exactly do you suppose I do while I stay home Roman?"

"Plan our wedding."

"Wedding?" Alyssa's voice slightly elevated. "Why would I plan a wedding when we're already married?" She gestured to the ring on her finger.

"Alyssa you know that my family is looking forward to us having a traditional Samoan wedding. Now that the boys are about to turn one I just thought-"

"You just thought that I would stay home like Suzie Fuckin Homemaker and plan an unnecessary ass wedding instead of working? I like my job Roman. I'm looking forward to getting back to work. What's so damn wrong with that?"

"This isn't going to end well," Naomi commented as she tried to grab for Alyssa's hand to pull the other woman away to cool down. However, the makeup artist quickly snatched her hand away.

"Unnecessary? You think something that's important to my fuckin heritage is unnecessary Alyssa? Hell if it wasn't for you we wouldn't be going through this shit right now!"

"If it wasn't for me?! Well excuse me if I wanted to marry the man I love as soon as possible and not wait! You weren't too concerned about your heritage then so why is it such a damn issue now? Unless you just trying to keep me locked away at home while you do God knows what while you're on the fuckin road!"

Unable to listen to the argument any longer, Alexandria quickly stood to her feet and got between Alyssa and Roman, pushing her cousin away from the seething Samoan. "You two need to relax before you wake up the entire damn block!" she scolded, directing stern glances in their direction. "I'm sure there's a compromise you two can figure out."

"Alex is right. Both of you need to take a moment and talk about this later after calming down. You two clearly are upset and don't mean shit that you're saying to one another right now," Jimmy said.

"Oh I mean every got damn word I'm saying right now," Alyssa replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Her shoulders squared as she glared at Roman, the grin she had on her face a few minutes ago completely vanished. Here she was excited to get back to work and Roman wanted to keep her chained at home like he still lived in the stone age.

"Alyssa, you need to stop being so fuckin selfish and think about the twins."

"Everything I fucking do is for my sons! Don't you ever accuse me of not thinking of them Roman because that is complete bullshit!" Alyssa bellowed. "I don't give a damn what you think I should do because guess what you're not the fuckin boss of me! I'm going back to work and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me!"

Not waiting to hear his response, Alyssa whirled around and stormed into the house, roughly slamming the deck door behind her.

* * *

><p>A scowl crept onto their face as they scrolled through the Instagram feed, studying the various pictures. The person scoffed as a picture of two men and two women popped up on their screen, four smiling faces staring back at them and further fanning the flames and anger that boiled inside of them.<p>

From the man with the long raven mane to the gentleman with the unkempt auburn hair to the women that hung off their arms, none of them deserved to be as happy as they appeared. They deserved to feel pain, to see what it felt like to have everything snatched away from them in the blink of an eye.

When it was all said and done, all four of them would see how it felt to be left with absolutely nothing.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So the chapter started off fluffy enough with Dalex but then I had to hit y'all with the drama. We finally know more about Alani/Randy's situationship, Alex isn't having none of Cameron's shit, Rolyssa looks like they're having their issues, and then that last scene *Ted Dibiase laugh* I told you all we would be taking a wild ride with this story and we haven't even scratched the surface yet. So buckle up! R&R :-)**_


	4. Four

_**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews & love. I enjoyed reading everybody's guesses regarding the last part and I'll just say, that's only the tip of the iceberg for this story. Anywhoo, who is ready for Royal Rumble? I must admit I don't have a clue who is winning/I'm flip flopping who I want to win. But I'm sure The Baes (My nickname for the former Shield members) will SLAY SOME GOT DAMN OVARIES! But enough of my babbling, let's see what our favorite characters are up to shall we? Enjoy. **_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Four<strong>

"You know you snapped right?"

Alyssa exhaled as Alexandria flanked her side, looping her arm with hers. Alyssa's free hand pushed Isaiah and Ethan in their stroller. "If you're going to lecture me about how I shouldn't have lashed out at Roman the other night, save it. Because I'm not apologizing."

Alexandria bit her bottom lip to stop her from saying something that would set Alyssa off as the two continued to walk through the mall, passing by the elderly shoppers. This was the first time either woman saw one another in person since Roman and Alyssa's blowup after the christening and Alexandria promised herself she would take the time to try to talk some sense into Alyssa. Alexandria believed the argument spiraled completely out of control and everything was blown out of proportion when it could've been easily resolved. But Alyssa and Roman were too bullheaded to think sensibly about the matter and neither one were willing to budge on their position.

"Well you're going to listen to what I have to say. Hell if the tables were reversed, you would be on my ass," the younger woman said as she and Alyssa took a seat in the food court.

Alyssa rolled her eyes before turning to check on the boys. She picked Isaiah up to feed him while Ethan slept soundly. Alexandria made funny faces at her baby cousin while his doe like brown eyes stared at her, cooing softly as he made grabbing motions for Alyssa's hoop earring.

"Isaiah, no. You can't have Mama's earring," Alyssa told him as she quickly removed the earring and slipped it into her purse so Isaiah couldn't grab it. She chuckled as he started reaching for her breast in her shirt. "You can't grab that either. Just like your father I swear."

Alexandria laughed at the comment and shook her head as Alyssa finally got Isaiah settled down and drinking from his bottle. She stared at her older cousin, her arms folded across her chest. "Lyssa, what was that shit the other night? Accusing Roman of wanting to keep you locked away so he could hide this supposed dirt from you? You know good and damn well that man ain't cheating on you."

"But-"

"But nothing! Number one, Roman loves you and the boys. He ain't messing that up. Number two, he values his life because he knows if he hurts you, I'll beat his ass."

Despite the sour mood she had been in the past week and a half, a small giggle fell from Alyssa's lips as she took a sip of her smoothie. "I swear being with Dean has made you more violent and crass."

"Stop trying to change the subject Alyssa." Alexandria placed a hand over her cousin's and peered into her eyes. "Talk to me. What's really wrong?"

Alyssa exhaled softly again as thoughts that ran rampant in her mind since her argument with Roman reappeared. The logical side of her knew she took things too far. But the stubborn and emotional side refused to be the first one that budged and admitted any wrongdoing, especially when she felt like she wasn't the one that needed to apologize.

"I don't want people to think I'm weak," the mother mumbled after a few seconds of silence.

Alexandria's eyebrows creased together in confusion. "Weak?"

"I don't want Roman to think I can't handle working and being a mother at once. Yes, it will be hard. But I can do it. Hell I need to do it. I can't just sit back and rely on just him. As much as I love my husband and I know he loves me, what if one day our marriage ends?"

"Alyssa-"

"I know. I shouldn't think like that. But it can happen. Shit it happens everyday. And I don't want to be caught off guard in case it does. I don't want to be so financially dependent on a man and then once that support is gone, I'm left with two sons confused as hell about how I'm going to pay for our next meal. I've seen that happen before Lex. When my father died, Veronica struggled taking care of me and Garrett because she didn't work and was a stay at home mom. Finding another job and trying to get back into the groove of working was difficult as hell. I don't want that for me or the twins."

"Have you expressed this to Roman?" Alyssa lowered her head and shook it. Alexandria smacked her lips. "Well don't you think you should? Maybe if you come at him from this point of view instead of accusing him of cheating and telling him having a traditional Samoan wedding is pointless, he'll be more receptive."

"Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right. You know you were dead ass wrong the other night. I'm not saying Roman was right either because we already know how I feel about a man trying to turn a woman into a Stepford Wife. But you took it to another level."

Alyssa grimaced as memories of the argument flashed through her mind. "I guess I just got heated because of the way he responded. Like he acted as if the idea of me working was asinine and that my only place should be at home with the boys 24/7. Lex you know I love Ethan and Isaiah with all my heart but sometimes even I need a break. Is that wrong of me?"

"No, it's not. Hell I commend you for being able to last this long without saying you need a break. But once again, you have to calmly inform Roman of this without blowing up. You get more bees with honey Alyssa."

Alyssa turned her head towards Isaiah and Ethan, sighing. She loved being a mother, loved spending time with her sons and watching them grow each day. But there were times when she needed a moment to herself. A time to relax and not worry about feeding schedules or changing shitty diapers. Some Alyssa time. Despite him hating he was missing watching the boys grow up, Roman was lucky because he wasn't always bogged down with the task of being a parent while he was on the road. Yet, Alyssa's life for the past eight months revolved around Isaiah and Ethan. And while she would do anything for them, she didn't want that to be the only thing her life was about.

Alyssa loved being a makeup artist. It had been her dream career since she first dropped out of college. And she missed her job. She even missed dealing with the egotistical divas backstage. And most of all, she missed spending time with Roman like she once did when they were on the road together. It wasn't a matter of her trying to keep tabs on him but more so a case of her missing his presence and spending alone time with one another without worrying about whether they would be able to get a full night of sleep due to Isaiah waking up every 30 minutes hungry or Ethan being unable to sleep because he was colicky. Although Alexandria told her she had nothing to feel guilty about, a tiny voice still admonished her for being ungrateful after finally getting the family she always wanted. Maybe that's why she never shared her true feelings with Roman: she didn't want him to feel offended by how she felt. But her cousin was right. She had to tell her husband how she felt so he could understand where she was coming from.

"C'mon."

Alexandria's voice jolted Alyssa from her thoughts, her eyes focusing back on the Georgia native. "Where are we going?"

"Well while the twins are sleeping," Alexandria said, gesturing to Isaiah and Ethan's sleeping forms with her head. "We're going to go to Victoria's Secret."

"And for what reason?" Alyssa strapped Isaiah back in the stroller. She placed his bottle in her baby bag and stood to her feet.

"I need to see if I can find something sexy for me and Dean's anniversary."

Alyssa chuckled as Alexandria wiggled her eyebrows. "I almost forgot the one year anniversary is coming up soon. How does it feel?" Alyssa asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Honestly? Surreal. But I'm happy we lasted," Alexandria said, a goofy smile on her face at the mention of her boyfriend. "You know we had a lot of obstacles to overcome to get to this moment. But we're still together and nothing is going to break us up."

"Hell after your surprise for his birthday, I'm sure he'll do everything in his power to make sure you stick around," Alyssa teased, making a crimson blush appear on Alexandria's face. "So what exactly were you looking for?"

Alexandria shrugged. "I don't know. I'll know once I see it. Hell I don't even know what we're doing. He hasn't told me anything."

"Sounds like Roman on our first anniversary. He was secretive about everything. But if I know Dean, he'll make it memorable. I don't think he'll let you down."

Alexandria nodded her head as the two women walked into Victoria's Secret and headed straight for the lingerie section. While she thumbed through a few items on the table, she turned to face Alyssa. "So how did you know when you were ready to move in with Roman?"

"When he asked me," Alyssa replied with a grin as she checked her cell phone for any missed calls or messages. "He completely shocked me when he asked because I wasn't expecting it at all. We had just gotten back together and were working on our relationship at the time so it wasn't something I was focused on. But at that time I had been spending our off days at his place instead of mine so it kinda made sense you know?" She glanced up from her phone. "Why do you ask?"

"Well I've been thinking that maybe it's time me and Dean took a step like that."

"Like living together?" Alyssa's eyebrow raised when Alexandria nodded her head. "Are you ready for that? Hell is Dean ready for that?"

"I mean, how much more time does one need to be ready Alyssa? We've been together for a year now. And you and Roman moved in together before y'all reached a year."

"True but every relationship is different Alex. Hell Dean and Ro are two different men."

"So you think it's a stupid idea?"

"I didn't say that. However, I do believe you should tread lightly on the subject just to see how Dean reacts to it. Instead of just dropping the idea on him start small. You have to remember how apprehensive Dean is about relationships. This is completely new to him so he may respond totally different to the thought of moving in together than Roman did."

Alexandria nibbled her bottom lip thoughtfully. Alyssa did have a point and the subject of her and Dean living together would have to be handled with care. But Alexandria was at the point in their relationship where she yearned for something more. She knew Dean cared for her like she cared for him. She enjoyed being with him and of course the sex was top notch. But she would've liked a more concrete sign that proved he was as serious about their relationship as she was. She couldn't dare think of the two of them being on different levels in their relationship and wanted some reassurance he was in it for the long haul as well.

"You're right. I'll figure it out," Alexandria said as she continued to look through the negligees on the table. A devilish smirk appeared on her face when she eyed a cobalt blue lace teddy, holding it up. "Now this is hot."

Alyssa nodded her head. "You would look great in that."

"Girl not for me. For you."

"Me?" Alyssa's voice slightly elevated as she watched Alexandria approach her and hold the item up to her body. "I thought we were in here for you."

"Well we are. But that doesn't mean you can't look around girl. That's a surefire way to reconcile with Rome. Greet him when he comes home wearing this and some heels, cook his favorite dinner, sit on his lap and feed it to him. That make up sex will be mind blowing. Isn't this his favorite color on you too?"

Alyssa's body tensed as her eyes slowly glanced at her reflection in the mirror that stood in front of her. The color did look great against her skin tone and Roman did like it a lot. But then she saw the various cut outs that would expose her back which wasn't as slender as it once was. The openings that revealed her sides which still harbored a little too much baby fat that she hadn't been unable to get rid of yet. And it was extremely tight and would definitely show off her slightly pudgy stomach that wasn't flat like it was when she first met Roman.

Alyssa shook her head and pushed Alexandria away, laughing nervously. "Focus on finding lingerie for you and lemme focus on how to fix things with Ro," she stated tensely, quickly turning around and pushing the stroller to the PINK department to look at sweatpants.

* * *

><p>"You know you fucked up right?"<p>

Roman grunted as he dropped the dumbbell, tossing a glare in Dean's direction as he did push ups on the floor in front of him. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well I don't give a fuck because Alex is on my ass to make you fix things with Alyssa. Why couldn't you be supportive of her returning to work?"

"I just don't understand why she's so eager to return and not taking her time."

"Taking her time? Man it's been months since she's worked! You act like she gave birth last week!" Seth exclaimed, shaking his head while he wiped down the cardio machine he used.

"It's the Beyonce effect."

Roman and Seth turned to face Dean who continued to casually do push ups. Seth raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"Independent woman that is now a wife and mother trying to prove to the world that she can balance all three roles at once and not be overwhelmed. That's all Alyssa is trying to do. She's so used to being on her own for so long, she feels helpless if she's not working. Work keeps her sane."

Roman tilted his head to the side, pondering Dean's explanation. "Surprisingly that made sense. But I'm shocked you know who Beyonce is."

"I actually don't. But Alex said it the other day and it sounded intelligent."

Roman and Seth stared at Dean before erupting in laughter. A few seconds later, the laughter died down and the new father exhaled, running a hand over his face. It had been over a week since his and Alyssa's big argument and of course, he was in the dog house. He didn't mean to snap the way he did but he felt like Alyssa was unwilling to see where he was coming from. All he wanted was to provide for his family, to let her see there was no reason for her to work as long as he was around. Roman saw first hand how hard it was for his mother to take care of him and his siblings and that was when she was a stay at home mom. He didn't want Alyssa to stress herself out by adding too much to her plate all at once.

Not only that, but he was also looking forward to planning a real wedding. Yes, the two of them were already married and he did agree to go to the courthouse since at that point, he was extremely busy with his schedule. But he always felt like he cheated Alyssa out of the fairytale wedding that he felt she deserved. He wanted to show all of their friends and family how in love he was with his wife and didn't want to make it seem like their marriage was just one of convenience, something to get over quickly. Not only that, but all of his married siblings participated in a traditional Samoan wedding. Alyssa may have thought it was pointless but to Roman it was an integral part of his heritage.

"I just wish she could see things from my point of view. I would think that after everything we've been through she would know I'm not the one to try to control her or keep her locked away to hide shit she thinks I'm doing on the road." Roman shook his head. "I would never cheat on Alyssa. I'm just trying to look out for her well being."

"And she knows that. But you know when she gets upset, she says shit that she doesn't mean. Deep down she knows she can trust you," Dean told his friend as he stood to his feet, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"Look man this is what you should do. Take her some flowers, cook her some dinner, and apologize. Then have a calm conversation about her returning to work. You say you want her to see things from your point of view. But you have to see things from her point of view too. Like Dean said, Alyssa is used to being on her own since she was 18. Maybe it's a hard adjustment for her to just have you work and rely on your paycheck to provide for the family because let's face it. Anything can happen in the ring and this career isn't certain. So in a way maybe she's trying to be responsible and have a Plan B."

"Not only that but have you thought that maybe she needs a break from the boys too?" Dean asked. Roman's head jerked up and Dean held his hands up defensively. "I know she loves Isaiah and Ethan but dealing with them every damn day while you're out on the road has to be taking a toll on her. Just think about how exhausted you were when you were home for the brief break. Now think Alyssa deals with that 24/7. Maybe her returning to work will help her so she won't get burnt out."

Roman nibbled on his bottom lip pensively, Seth and Dean's words swirling in his mind. He placed his head in his hands, his body slumping forward. "I'm an asshole."

"Yeah you really are," Dean commented. Seth pushed him slightly and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "What? If it was me, Roman would tell me the truth and I'm just doing the same. And I'm trying to save him from Alexandria's wrath. Apparently she has a machete with your name on it if you don't fix this shit by the time Alyssa comes back to work."

Roman's booming chuckle filled the hotel fitness center. He turned to face his best friend. "Speaking of, somebody's one year anniversary is coming up."

Dean's smirk dropped and he exhaled. "Don't remind me."

"Trouble in paradise man?" Seth glanced over his shoulder to Dean as the three men exited the fitness center, walking towards the small breakfast cafe in the hotel lobby.

"No, not at all. I just don't know what the fuck to do for the anniversary. I mean shit, this is me! Do I look like the type that plans romantic one year anniversary dates? Hell I didn't even expect to still be in a relationship after a month, let alone a year. That's more Roman's style than mine."

Seth and Roman nodded in agreement. It was still quite shocking to some people Dean was involved in a faithful relationship for so long, a complete turnaround from the playboy he once was. Of course there were some that claimed he wouldn't be able to keep his dick in his pants while he was on the road because there was a perception that all wrestlers cheated. But he proved all the naysayers, including himself, wrong and had become a supportive and great boyfriend.

"Well you can never go wrong with a candlelit dinner."

"Lame."

"Alex looks like she would enjoy a play."

"Are you trying to punish me on purpose?"

"Art galleries or the ballet look like her style."

"I really don't want to fall asleep on my own anniversary date."

Roman cut his eyes at Dean. "Dude you have to compromise. You may not like those things but Alex may enjoy them. Hell you might enjoy yourself you never know." Dean choked out a laugh making Roman exhale. "Hell if you planned the date based off things you did like you would probably take her to a hockey game or to Vegas or some shit like that."

Dean's stopped walking once the statement left Roman's mouth. Roman turned and groaned when he saw Dean's eyes sparkling with mischief, knowing exactly what was going on in his head. "Hell no."

"Why not?"

"Vegas is not romantic dude."

"I could make it work," Dean claimed. He reached inside his gym shorts for his phone, a plan quickly formulating in his mind.

"He can't be serious, right?" Seth asked Roman.

"Oh he's definitely serious. I just hope that he doesn't end up in the same dog house predicament I'm in. Pissing a Stewart woman off is not the smartest idea."

Seth chuckled as the trio took a seat at a small table in the breakfast two toned haired man reached for Dean's phone and snatched it out of his grasp. "Dean, boyfriends don't take their girlfriends to Vegas for their first major anniversary. That just isn't..."

"Normal," Roman interjected.

Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes, grabbing his phone back from Seth. "Alex accepts me for who I am. She knows I'm not a sappy ass boyfriend and likes that I'm a little eccentric. So trust me this will work and I definitely won't be joining you two in the dog house no time soon."

"Wait, what do you mean you two?" Seth pointed to himself and shook his head. "How can I be in the dog house when I'm not dating anybody?"

"Oh how soon you've forgotten about the certain backstage interviewer you have been pissing off since she got promoted to the main roster?" Dean snickered. "If looks could kill after the last interview you had with her, you would be six feet under."

Seth couldn't stop the smirk that crept onto his face at the mention of Alani. It had been a while since he last seen the interviewer, due to the fact WWE talent was given a rare break for the holidays and weren't due to return to work until later on that night for Raw. After their last interaction at Dolph's New Year's Eve party, he was looking forward to seeing her later and was hoping he had a segment with her as well. Seth knew he was possibly playing with fire for agitating Alani but he enjoyed provoking a reaction out of her. He wasn't quite sure what he hoped to accomplish but it was something that helped him pass the time in his otherwise mundane routine of wrestling and working out.

"Just good natured ribbing on my part. Nothing more than that," Seth stated.

"Rollins last interview you called her sweet cheeks. On live television at that."

"You called Renee baby girl and sweet pea and baby before. What's wrong with me calling Alani sweet cheeks?"

"Maybe because the first time you met her, you couldn't stop looking at her breasts. And you still eyeball her while you salivate."

"Well in Seth's defense, it's kinda hard to miss those jugs Alani has."

"Thank you!" Seth reached over and high fived Dean.

Dean chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as Roman glared at him. "What?! Don't tell me that you haven't noticed them."

"I'm only interested in one woman's breasts and that's my wife's."

"Oh don't give me that shit! As a man whether you're single or taken, it's damn near impossible to ignore nice sized breasts and Alani's are top tier. I wonder if they're real or Nikki Bella 'real'," Seth pondered, making the air quote gesture with his fingers.

"Well one thing is for certain, you'll never find out."

The three men fell silent and slowly turned in their seat coming face to face with an unamused Alani standing behind them. Dean swallowed nervously as Roman palmed his face in embarrassment, not trying to witness the ass kicking Alani was going to give to Seth. However, Seth's smirk widened into a grin as his eyes roamed Alani's body. She was dressed in a pair of thick cotton leggings and a sweatshirt, her phone and water bottle in her hands. His gaze reached her face and he subconsciously licked his bottom lip as he was taken aback by her beauty. Her hair was instead pulled back into a sloppy ponytail showing off her amazing bone structure. There was no denying how beautiful the woman was. Even when she was tossing death glares in his and his friends' direction.

"He's sorry," Roman quickly offered, slapping Seth upside his head and making his friend yelp in shock. "Tell her you're sorry Rollins."

"He's not sorry because I'm sure he meant every word he said."

"You know me so well babe." Seth beamed.

Alani rolled her eyes and sneered. "Just something else to add to his list of demeaning statements and nicknames directed towards me."

"He? Baby cakes I thought we've been through enough together for you not to refer to me as a he."

"It's either he or mysognistic asshole. Which do you prefer?"

"Well I actually have a list of a few nicknames I would rather you call me. But we can discuss that once we're not in the presence of others," Seth replied with a cheeky grin.

Alani stared at Seth and shook her head in disgust. Of course the self proclaimed future of the WWE would manage to piss her off even more instead of accepting responsibility and apologizing for his demeaning actions towards her. Why would she even think that he would be able to act like an adult for the first time since she's met him?

"You're a fuckin pig, Rollins."

Alani spun on her heel to walk away when Seth jumped up and stepped in front of her, halting her exit.

"Look Alani clearly we have gotten off on the wrong foot. How about we start over from the beginning?"

Alani crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Seth's outstretched hand. She truly didn't want to gain any enemies since she was new. But Seth's sense of entitlement and cockiness irked her to no end. It was obvious nobody ever checked him about his attitude and instead learned to accept it since he was considered a top tier in ring performer.

But Alani could give two fucks about any of that.

With fire blazing in her eyes, the interviewer knocked Seth's hand away and stormed out of the cafe.

Dean whistled lowly and shook his head. "Well I think it's safe to assume you have gained an enemy for life Rollins."

Seth waved dismissively. "She's just playing hard to get now but it'll be worth it in the end. Trust me, I got this."

"I don't know man. I think you've dug a hole too deep that you can't smooth talk your way out of," Roman said. "Good luck getting on her good side."

Seth reclaimed his seat at the table, the smirk from earlier reappearing as he placed his hands behind his head. His stare focused on Alani as she stood at the front desk, conversing with the concierge. Dean and Roman shared a look with one another, both worried about what exactly Seth had in his mind for the newest addition to the main roster.

* * *

><p>Alani knew that hating people was wrong. But dammit she hated Seth Rollins with the fire of a thousand suns and she wasn't ashamed to admit it.<p>

After her earlier run in with the thorn in her side, Alani's day went from bad to downright horrible. First she fell and ripped her leggings when she was on her morning jog. Then she spilled coffee on the original dress she was going to wear for Raw that night. And to top it all off, she realized she forgot to pack a pair of seamless panties and ended up having to go fuckin commando on live television due to the thin material of the second dress she was forced to wear.

It definitely was not her day. And whether it was logical or not, Alani knew that Seth was the main reason why her day went from sugar to shit. It was like after she ran into him and dealt with his foolishness, he placed some type of Voodoo hex on her. Not only was she dealing with her share of misfortunes, she was doing her absolute best to avoid Randy at all costs.

Alani rolled her eyes at the thought of Randy. Ever since their last rendezvous, she hadn't seen the man fans affectionately called The Viper. Neither reached out to one another and she would be damned if she folded first. Sure she knew she shouldn't expect him to blow up her phone after their small argument. Women in her position shouldn't expect such actions. Yet a tiny part of her wished that she could at least get a text telling her to come over to his room. However, that didn't happen and Alani was sure Randy had moved onto his newest conquest.

She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As much as she knew she deserved somebody that was only loyal to her, she couldn't remove the hex Randy held over her and never found the courage to leave him for good once and for all. But if he was the one to end things, she knew she could move past it because Alani Matthews didn't chase after anybody. Never had, and never will.

However there was a twinge of sadness that crept inside of her as well. This would be another example that she wasn't good enough for a relationship. Instead of ending things with a woman he claimed to not love anymore, Randy chose his girlfriend over Alani. What was so bad about her that she couldn't find a man that wanted to be committed to her and only her? It couldn't have been looks because she was constantly told she was gorgeous. And it couldn't have been her personality because she was a wonderful person that got along with if you didn't piss her off. But instead of men flocking to her, clamoring for a chance to make her their woman, they either constantly cheated on her and lied to her or deemed her as fuck buddy worthy of nothing else.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Alani entered the divas' locker room. Her night was finally over and she was looking forward to heading back to the hotel and enjoying a nice warm shower before passing out in her bed. Tossing a few greetings towards some of the divas that were still inside the room, ignoring the few glares she received, Alani walked towards her locker to grab her duffle bag with her change of clothes.

Her steps suddenly came to a halt when her eyes landed on the single red rose waiting for her on top of the duffle. Glancing around the room, Alani saw nobody was watching her, waiting to see her reaction as if they planted the rose there. She grabbed the flower and took a whiff of it, the sweet aroma making a smile appear on her face. Her phone vibrations interrupted the moment as it rattled across her bag. Alani unlocked it and read the message that greeted her.

_I miss you. Come by once you get back to the hotel._

As her eyes studied the words on her screen, Alani wasn't sure if she should feel happy or disappointed.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Well we finally got a look into Rolyssa's thought process so hopefully they can make up soon. And Seth just continues to dig that hole deeper and deeper doesn't he? And will Alani give Randy up for good or nah? R&R :-)**_


	5. Five

_**A/N: Thank you all for the love for Chapter Four. So whew about that Royal Rumble last Sunday? I'm honestly tired of discussing it. I knew the crowd/Reigns haters were gonna react that way so I ain't tripping. I'm just going to sit back and see what happens. I don't give a fuck what anybody has to say b/c all 3 former Shield members will always have my support. So if you don't like it, don't watch. Simple. But Reigns was just slaying my ovaries while Rollins was the star of the night! But enough of that..Let's get onto the update shall we?**_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Five<span>**

Randy grunted as he plunged into Alani, sweat gathering on his forehead and dropping down his face. His nails dug into her skin as he held her legs out to the side, his face contorted in pleasure.

"You getting ready to cum for me?" He inquired, feeling his own orgasm creeping up his legs.

Nonchalant moans fell from Alani's lips as she dropped her hand to her nub, rubbing it vigorously. She bit her bottom lip as her free hand groped her breast, closing her eyes to stop her from rolling them. "Make me cum Randy. I wanna cum all on this dick," Alani requested unenthusiastically.

His pace turned erratic in nature and with one final jab her mangled cry of Randy's name filled the room which promptly sent the wrestler over the edge as well. Randy's movements slowed down and he quickly detached himself from Alani, heading straight for the bathroom.

Once the door clicked closed, Alani's eyes popped open and she sat up. The young woman started to quickly gather her belongings, stuffing her bra into her large purse as she tried to slip on her shoes at the same time. Her head whirled around looking for her cell phone, realizing it wasn't on the nightstand where she placed it before her and Randy's session got underway.

"Looking for this?"

Alani turned to see Randy, who by then had pulled on a pair of boxer briefs, holding her iPhone. She nodded her head and approached him, reaching for the phone. "Yeah. Thanks." Her brow furrowed when he pulled the item out of her reach. "Is there a problem?"

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"As soon as we finish having sex you sneak out of here like a thief in the night. Are you in that much of a rush to be as far away from me as possible?"

Alani exhaled and ran a hand through her hair. She definitely wasn't trying to have this conversation with Randy at the moment. All she wanted was to take a hot shower in her own room and crawl into her bed before she had to get up at the crack of dawn the next day for her workout. Hell, she shouldn't even had been there anyway. She should've acted as if she didn't see his text and went on about her life. But of course Randy Orton wasn't easy to ignore, especially when he cornered her in the hotel elevator and seduced you to come back to his room. Like many times before, her resolve disappeared the moment he started nibbling on her neck and before she knew it, she was spread eagle on his king sized mattress while he plowed into her.

"Randy, I'm really not in the mood for this. I'm tired and I just want to shower and go to sleep."

"Well, I have a shower and a bed so there's your solution."

Alani crossed her arms over her chest and rest her entire body weight on one leg. "Now you know that's not an option."

"And why is that?"

"You know why!" Alani hissed. "You cuddle with your girlfriend or wife after sex. Not the side chick. I come, you come, and then I leave. That's always been the routine don't try to act dense now."

"Well what if I want to change the routine?"

Alani's body recoiled slightly in shock, her brow raising in disbelief. A short chuckle filled the room making Randy purse his lips. "Goodnight Randy." She turned on her heel to walk away. Her steps halted when Randy grabbed her by her wrist.

"Alani, I'm serious. I don't know if I can put up with this charade any longer. I thought I could fix my relationship but it's looking really unlikely at this point."

"Maybe if you kept your dick in your pants you could."

"Lan-"

"I mean I get it. Although I've never met your girlfriend I'm still liable for her man cheating on her. But Randy if you truly wanted to fix things between you two you would've dropped me a long time ago. And hell you've known for a while now that things wouldn't work out so why do you want to make a change now? What has sparked this abrupt change in attitude?"

Alani stared at Randy, awaiting his response. A range of emotions flashed across his face as the seconds ticked by, a sign of the internal battle that was going on inside his mind. Alani wasn't sure if she should be ecstatic or pissed the fuck off. Part of her wanted to jump for joy that Randy picked her. For the first time in a long time, a man felt that she was good enough for an actual relationship and not just a side piece. As much as she tried to accept her role, a tiny part of her always wished that Randy would see that he had a great woman willing to make him happy standing right in front of him. Sure their situation wasn't ideal and was built off deceit. But that didn't stop her from wanting more than what she was currently getting from Randy.

However, a part of her couldn't believe the gall of the man nicknamed The Viper. Did he actually believe that he could snap his fingers and decide that he wanted to be with her and she would fall in line? Of course he did. This man was walking sex on a stick. Every woman he came in contact with instantly fell into his bed and Alani wasn't any different. As much as she wanted to believe that she had a backbone to stand up for what she wanted, they both knew that wasn't the truth. Because if it was, she would've never started fucking with Randy in the first place.

"Why are you acting like this?"

Randy's question jolted Alani from her thoughts, her eyes focusing on his again. "Excuse me?"

"Don't you want to be with me? Aren't you tired of being my very well hidden secret?"

Alani nibbled on her bottom lip thoughtfully and exhaled, her shoulders slumping. Instead of him admitting why he all of a sudden wanted to be with her, he tried to divert the attention to her and make it seem like she was the one being difficult. She quickly surmised it was a lost cause she was battling. "Randy, I can't discuss this right now."

Randy's grip on her wrist tightened and he yanked Alani close to him, planting a smoldering kiss on her lips. Against her brain's demand, her stomach quivered from the smooch and her legs turned to jello and threatened to give way. Randy pulled away a few seconds later and caressed Alani's face as he stared into her eyes.

"I'm serious Alani. And if you were being completely honest with yourself you would admit you want the same thing too. Just drop the tough act and tell me what you want."

He released her hand and stepped away from Alani, folding his arms. She awkwardly stood there, the heat rising to her cheeks as her chest raised with every breath she took. Without another word, Alani quickly retreated, not daring to look back for fear she would throw logic and all forms of sensibility to the wind.

* * *

><p>"Have I ever told you how sexy you are darling?"<p>

Alexandria giggled as Dean nuzzled her neck with his face, placing feathery kisses on her skin. Her head lulled to the side and she exhaled satisfactorily while Dean's hands crept underneath his t-shirt she was wearing.

"Dean, if you keep doing this I won't be able to finish packing."

"Fuck packing and fuck me instead."

Alexandria moaned as Dean's hand reached her breast, tweaking her nipple with his index finger and thumb. She turned her head and placed a quick peck on her boyfriend's lips, pulling his hand away and moving away from him towards the foot of the bed instead.

"Calm down babe. I have a lot of packing to do since you suddenly decided you wanted to go on a trip directly after the Smackdown taping. And did I mention it's kinda hard since I don't know what to bring since you're being so secretive."

"You know what else is really hard?" Dean grabbed Alexandria's hand and placed it on his jean covered dick, smirking.

"DEAN!" Alexandria exclaimed, yanking her hand away and laughing. "What the hell am I gonna do with you?"

Dean grinned and shrugged his shoulders. He reclined his body and rest his weight on his elbows. Thoughts of the secret rendezvous he planned for his and Alexandria's upcoming anniversary swirled through his mind while he watched his girlfriend mumble quietly to herself. He was extremely excited for the trip and knew Alexandria would enjoy herself despite Seth and Roman trying to talk him out of it. He was unconventional and he knew that he wouldn't be able to simply plan a normal date for such an occasion. Dean had accomplished one of the most unlikeliest of feats by staying in a committed relationship for the past year and the scenario deserved a grand gesture. Not only as a congratulations to him but as a thank you to Alexandria as well. She gave him a chance when everybody thought she could do so much better and was able to see the good in him that nobody else could. Dean was confident this was one of his best ideas yet.

"In my defense, I did try to help you-"

"Dean you telling me I could walk around naked was not helping me."

"Says who? Because all we're going to do when we're gone is fuck, drink, and sleep."

Alexandria laughed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Dean's blunt response. "You know we're going to have to add eating to that schedule."

"Oh trust me doll face, I plan on doing a lot of eating while we're away." A mischievous glint appeared in Dean's icy blue orbs.

A crimson blush crept onto Alexandria's cheeks as she stood to her feet, stepping away from Dean when he tried to pounce on her. Before he could advance again, his phone rang making him groan in response as he reached for it on the nightstand. "I'm not done with you," he informed Alexandria before stepping out of the room to take the call in the living room.

Once she heard him begin his conversation, Alexandria sat back on the bed and resumed packing. As she tried to determine how to fit everything she would need for a full week in one carry on bag, her mind wandered to the conversation she had with Alyssa the prior week. She still hadn't decided whether she wanted to bring up the subject of taking their relationship to the next level to Dean or not. At that point, their relationship was going smoothly. She was happy and he was happy and they avoided any major arguments. However, there was a nagging feeling that appeared at some times wanting more. Alexandria couldn't quite pin point where the feeling materialized from or what exactly she wanted but she wanted more.

Whenever she looked at Alyssa and Roman or Naomi with Jimmy, a slight twinge of jealousy zipped through her body. Of course she was happy for her friends and the fact they were in loving relationships but she sometimes wished she had the same. Alexandria truly believed Dean cared about her and enjoyed spending time with her but it was as if he was still holding back, fearing he would be hurt. Meanwhile, Alexandria was prepared to put everything on the line for him. Ready to profess how she wanted no other man besides Dean and how he was the end all, be all for her. If he asked her to kill for him, she wasn't sure she would deny his request. But often times she wondered whether the feeling was mutual.

Alexandria understood monogamous relationships weren't Dean's strong suit. Hell he took a leap when he committed to her and it took him months before he publicly acknowledged her as his girlfriend despite the fact she escorted him to the Hall of Fame ceremony. And when he did that, she was over the moon with joy. But now, she needed more. She needed another sign from Dean that he was as invested into the relationship as she was.

"See you can't even blame me for you not getting any packing done because you haven't done any since I left the room."

Alexandria's head quickly whipped around and she locked eyes with Dean, flashing him an uneasy smile. Dean's own grin disappeared. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

"About?"

Alexandria shook her head. "Not important. So what's the weather going to be like where we're going?" she asked, standing up. She moved towards her large suitcase she lugged over with random clothing items and started searching through it.

Dean wrapped his arm around Alexandria's waist, stopping her. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Try to pretend you're fine when we both know you're not. If you don't wanna talk about it now, just say that. But don't lie to me Alex."

Alexandria sighed and dropped her gaze to the floor. Dean lifted her head with his index finger, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You can talk to me about anything."

"Are you happy with the direction our relationship is going?"

Dean's eyes widened slightly the moment he heard the question. He shrugged. "Um yeah? I mean we're still going strong after a year so that must mean we're doing something right. What, are you not happy?"

"No! It's not that," Alexandria quickly declared."I just..I mean..it's stup-"

"Don't say it's stupid. Because it must not be stupid if you're concerned about it."

Alexandria gulped nervously. Her palms became slick with perspiration as she tried to decide how to approach the subject in a way that wouldn't come off too forceful and turn Dean off. Alyssa was definitely right when she advised her to tread gently but Alexandria wasn't sure how to do that since she had never been in that position.

Removing Dean's muscular arms from her body, Alexandria grabbed her purse and reached inside. She pulled out a neatly wrapped jewelry box and handed it to Dean. He glanced at the item inquisitively before looking back at Alexandria.

"It's your anniversary present. I know I should wait but I think now's the best time to give it to you."

"Ooooohhhkkkaaayyyy," Dean replied, confusion sketched onto his face as he wondered how they switched topics so swiftly. He unwrapped the box and opened it, pulling out a gold key. "Now I'm officially confused."

"It's a key...to my apartment."

"And why do I need this?"

"Because I want you to have it."

Dean's eyes snapped up, realization sprawling across his face. "Are you-"

"NO! I'm not!" Alexandria exclaimed, shaking her head vehemently. "It's just..I mean I...You're my boyfriend and you deserve a key to my place. I'm not asking you to move in, I'm not asking to move in with you. But I think we've reached that point in our relationship where we should both have keys to each other's place. Sometimes you get back to town late at night and now if you want to come over straight from the airport, you can and I won't have to get up and let you in. Or whenever you're on the road if you want me to check on your place then I can do that as well."

"There's really nothing at my place to check on doll face. I don't have any pets or anything like that. I have a bed, a couch, and some other shit. That's all." Dean shrugged nonchalantly.

"Dean that's not-" Alexandria paused and snatched the box from Dean, an irritated sigh falling from her lips. "Never mind. Just forget I said anything."

Dean's frown deepened as he watched Alexandria sulk back towards his bed, sitting defeated on the edge. He ran a hand through his mass of curls, not liking the expression on her face at all. He didn't mean to have such a nonchalant attitude about her gift but it was the only reaction that could hide the fact he was freaking the hell out on the inside. He knew the day would come where the topic of moving in together would be brought up. And sure Alexandria may not requested to move in together but offering him a key and talking about her having a key to his place was too damn close to comfort. Ever since Dean had been living on his own, nobody had a key to any of the apartments he lived in. Although Alexandria mostly spent all of her time at his place when he had a few days off, he couldn't grasp the idea of her having a key to his place. Currently he was able to control when she was over, able to keep an eye on her while she was there. But if he gave her a key that gave her free reign whenever he was gone. Then she would start snooping. Start redecorating his place to her liking. Leaving her tampons next to his vintage porno magazines next to the toilet. No there was no way he could give Alexandria a key to his place.

Dean's eyes focused on Alexandria and he immediately felt the guilt gnawing away at him. Her shoulders slumped forward as she silently packed her bag, blinking her eyes rapidly to stop the tears from flowing down her face. He hated seeing her eyes glossed over and he hated when he made her cry. Dean would do anything he could to make the Georgia native happy and wanted to give her the entire world if he could. But did that mean he would have to do something he was admittedly uncomfortable with just to bring a smile to her face? And how many times would he have to ignore his comfort zone for Alexandria's happiness?

Without another word, Dean walked towards Alexandria and grabbed the box she placed on his nightstand. He pocketed the key as Alexandria watched him, her lips parted in surprise. Dean leaned forward and kissed Alexandria hungrily, rubbing the back of her neck with his calloused fingertips. His skillful tongue wrestled with hers and he nipped her full top lip as she gripped his hair. Dean pulled away a few seconds later.

"Once all the madness dies down, I'll go to Home Depot or somewhere and make you a copy of my key."

Alexandria's eyes slightly lit up at the promise but her lips didn't transform into a grin. "Dean I don't want you to feel like you're forced to."

Dean shook his head. He pushed away the negative thought telling him he was making a huge mistake and was moving too fast, instead focusing on the glimmer of hope that gleamed throughout Alexandria's honey brown eyes. "I'm thankful you trust me enough to give me this key and I wanna show how much I trust you as well. You're not forcing me to do anything."

The corners of Alexandria's mouth twitched into a grin. "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. But I just want to warn you now that you may come home and find me butt ass naked in your bed. So don't be alarmed," Dean said with a smirk, making Alexandria giggle.

* * *

><p>Alyssa knocked on the door. "Babe are you in here?" she called out as she pushed the door open slightly. She glanced down at her cell phone as she walked inside, not quite paying attention until she ran into the chiseled chest of her husband.<p>

"Now what have I told you about texting and walking at once gorgeous," Roman joked as he quickly grabbed Alyssa's arm, stopping her from falling down.

An embarrassed blush crept onto Alyssa's cheeks. "Sorry. Your mom just text me to let me know the boys finally went to bed." She glanced into Roman's eyes, the familiar fluttering sensation in her stomach that she always felt whenever he gazed at her appearing. "But what's up. You said you wanted to see me."

Roman nodded before he pulled his and from behind his back. Alyssa laughed as he handed her a bouquet of yellow roses and a bag of her favorite snack, Trader Joe's Organic apple slices.

"And what is this?"

"This is my way of saying welcome back and to apologize for acting like such an asshole gorgeous. I would've preferred to cook you your favorite meal but since we're on the road, the apple slices will have to do."

"Thank you Ro. I really appreciate it."

A goofy grin crept onto the corners of Roman's lips. The expression made Alyssa's stomach do backflips despite her best efforts to remain unfazed. She stood on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his for a quick kiss. However before she could pull away, Roman's arm wrapped around her waist and held her in place as the kiss quickly turned passionate. Despite the fact the two of them had been at odds for the past week and a half, Alyssa didn't try to fight it and quickly succumbed to Roman's advances. The flowers fell from her hands onto the couch and her arms snared his neck. She ran her fingers through his loose raven locks, the slight sensation of nails dragging along his scalp making Roman's low animalistic growl fill the dressing room.

The two parted for air and Alyssa buried her face into Roman's chest, inhaling deeply as the scent of his freshly washed t-shirt wafted through her nostrils.

"I hate fighting with you sweetheart," Roman said softly, interrupting the silence.

Alyssa exhaled. The married couple had did their best to avoid one another since their spat, neither willing to bring up the incident although their respective friends instructed them to talk to one another about their concerns. Instead, their stubbornness and fear of everything being blown out of proportion again, halted any efforts of reconciliation. However, Roman couldn't take the awkward tension any longer. It was weird not holding Alyssa close to him, not joking around with her, and not making love to her until the wee hours of the morning. He knew it would take a while for his wife to adjust to being back at work now that she was a mother and he just wanted her to know she had his support no matter what.

"I should be the one to apologize Ro. I acted like an ass that night, saying shit I didn't mean and that was totally unnecessary. I know you're not doing any dirt on the road and I didn't mean to make you feel like your Samoan heritage was pointless either. I should've did a better job harnessing my anger. Instead of snapping, I should've just calmly verbalized how I truly felt to you."

Roman grabbed Alyssa's hand and pulled her towards the leather couch, sitting down first before pulling her onto his lap. "And how do you truly feel Alyssa?"

She toyed with the hem of her mustard yellow t-shirt and exhaled. "I've been working since I've been 18 and I've taken care of myself since then. I guess it's kinda hard getting used to not having to do everything myself because I've been doing it for so long. I don't know what tomorrow will bring. Hell, I hope we're together until we're old and gray but there's a possibility that won't happen and I just want to be prepared."

Roman's grip on Alyssa's waist tightened as he watched an errant tear trail down her face before she quickly wiped it away. "Is that it?" His wife shook her head. "What else?"

Alyssa turned her body slightly so she could stare into Roman's eyes. "I love you and the boys with all my heart Ro. But sometimes I need a break. I know being a mother is a full time job but sometimes I need some time to myself. Working gives me that opportunity. I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful because I'm not. I wouldn't trade this for the world. But if I'm being honest, I'm looking forward to the few days away from the boys." Alyssa palmed her face with her hand and shook her head. "That sounds horrible. I guess I really am selfish."

Roman dragged a hand over his face and sighed. "It's not selfish and you're definitely not selfish Alyssa and I'm sorry for even saying that to you. It's just natural for you to feel this way and I respect you for admitting it. I know you love Isaiah and Ethan with every fiber in your body. But I know it's hard for you taking care of twins especially when I'm constantly on the road. Even Superwoman needs a day off. But just know that you aren't alone and you have me along with our friends and family. But when I'm home, I could definitely do more to help out so you won't be stressed and I'll start doing that more often."

"But Ro-"

"But nothing. This is a partnership Alyssa and when one of us needs help, the other one steps up to the plate no questions asked. I don't think you're weak or anything like that because you're one of the strongest women I know. But you're human and there's nothing wrong with you saying you need a break."

The tension from Alyssa's body evaporated, making her body relax when she realized Roman understood where she was coming from. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I just don't want you to become overwhelmed Lyssa and that's why I reacted the way I did at the news of you returning to work. I don't want you to pile too much on your plate at once. But it was never my intention to make it seem like I thought your rightful place was at home watching the boys or that I thought you were being selfish wanting to work. I could've gotten my opinion across better but we both know how my temper can be," Roman said with a wry chuckle. "You might think I'm being too overprotective but I can't help but worry. It's in my nature sweetheart."

Alyssa smiled as she stroked the side of Roman's face. "I know and as much as it can irk me at times, I love it as well and wouldn't have it any other way," she replied. "So we're good?"

"Of course we are." Roman placed a soft kiss on her temple.

A few seconds of a comfortable silence passed before Alyssa spoke again. "So I've actually been thinking about my decision to come back to work."

"Really?" Roman peaked at Alyssa. "What have you been thinking about?"

"After our argument, I started thinking that maybe Lex was right and there was a logical compromise to make us both happy. So I spoke to Stephanie and we both decided that I can only work part time. So instead of me working every week, I'm just going to work once a month for the pay per views and the Raw and Smackdown tapings afterwards."

"Are you sure that's what you want? I know how much you were looking forward to coming back to work."

"That's true I was. But I also don't want to miss Zay and Ethan growing up either. This way I can do both."

Roman smiled and nodded, happy with Alyssa's decision. "Well if you're happy then that's all that matters. I'm just glad you're back on the road with me baby girl. I've missed you."

Before Alyssa could reply, Roman grasped her chin with his forefinger and thumb and placed a smoldering kiss on her full lips once again. She moaned against his mouth as he twisted her body fully so that she was straddling his lap. Detaching his mouth from hers, Roman trailed hot open mouth kisses down the column of her neck, nipping at the supple skin softly.

"You just saw me last Thursday handsome," Alyssa whispered in a breathless voice. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to try to quiet her moans.

"That was too long for me gorgeous. You know I can't get enough of you. I can't wait to make love to you without the twins interrupting us."

"What about your no sex before a show rule?"

Roman ignored Alyssa and reached for her belt, unbuckling the item so he could push her loose boyfriend fitting jeans down her legs. He smirked when he felt her shiver against his muscular frame and licked his lips. "That doesn't mean I can't show you how sorry I truly am," he told her, quickly slipping a finger inside her panties.

Alyssa's hips bucked upwards at the touch. She grabbed both sides of Roman's face and kissed him again, grinding onto his crotch feverishly, rocking against his hand as he continued to tease her clitoris. It had been too damn long since she experienced an orgasm at the hands of her husband and she was in dire need to tumble over that edge.

"Hey big cat did you want to head to- OH WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!"

Alyssa shrieked in horror as the door swung open widely. Dean and Alexandria stood frozen in the doorway, stunned by what they walked in on, their eyes wide. Alyssa jumped off Roman's lap and ran into the bathroom while Roman tried to adjust his hardened member in his sweat pants, glaring at Dean.

"Don't you know how to fuckin knock?!" he growled at his friend.

"Shit, don't you know how to lock the door before you start getting freaky with your wife?!" Dean retorted, his voice slightly raising. "Got dammit. First I had to see Alyssa with her legs wide the fuck open when she was in labor now this shit?! I'm gonna be scarred for life!"

Alexandria chuckled as she walked into the room. Dean glared at her out the corner of his eye, unamused. She quickly quieted down, flashing him a sweet smile.

"Well trust me Dean, I don't want you to see my wife in that position ever again either."

The sound of the bathroom door opening interrupted the conversation. Alyssa shyly walked into the room, pushing a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. She cleared her throat nervously and avoided the gaze of her cousin and her husband's best friend while she gathered her belongings. "Sorry about that."

"Girl nothing to apologize for. I knew you two had some freakiness in y'all." Alexandria grinned as both Roman and Alyssa blushed. "So I take it everything is good between you two?" she asked. The married couple nodded their heads in unison. "Good. Because I was very close to knocking some sense into both of you if this shit went on any longer."

"Why the hell are you two here anyway?"

"I was just trying to see if you wanted to grab a bite to eat from catering before we head over to this meeting with Paul and creative about the show tonight."

"You couldn't text that to me?" Roman raised his eyebrow at Dean.

"You know how me and technology are man. This was much easier."

Alyssa chuckled quietly as Roman rolled his eyes at Dean who flashed him a sheepish grin. The makeup artist grabbed the flowers she dropped earlier along with her train case. Roman raised to his feet and helped her pull the case to the door.

"I have to go set up before the show. I'll see you after the show okay?"

A devious smirk appeared on Roman's face, his eyes twinkling with desire before he placed a quick kiss on Alyssa's lips. "Definitely."

Alyssa yelped as Roman smacked her on the ass playfully. She winked in his direction and left the locker room, Alexandria following her.

"I see you trying to give your husband some good luck coochie before the show cuz," Alexandria teased with a wide grin.

Alyssa pushed Alexandria in the shoulder playfully. "I'm fuckin mortified that you and Dean walked in on us."

"Girl Dean has already seen everything down there when you went through labor with the twins so it's not that bad." Alexandria waved her hand dismissively. "Although I'm sure he will start having night tremors and waking up in cold sweats now."

The two cousins shared a quick laugh as they finally approached Alyssa's work area. She inhaled deeply and smiled, happy to be back at work once again. It had been such a long time since the last time she worked. She just hoped she remembered everything and would be able to get back into the groove of things.

"So, you told Roman how you truly felt?"

Alyssa nodded her head as she started pulling her makeup out of her case, setting it up on her vanity table. "Yeah. He was understanding as usual. I was tripping thinking he wasn't going to see things my way. And I was able to see where he was coming from as well so everything is good. I also decided to just work part time. That way too much strain won't be placed on Roman's mother and I'll still be able to spend most of my time with Zay and Ethan."

"Well at least you two reached a compromise that you both are happy with. Now I won't have to give Ro the side eye every time I see him."

Alyssa chuckled. "What about you? You ready for that top secret anniversary trip?"

Alexandria beamed and nodded her head eagerly. "I want to see what Dean has up his sleeves. He typically shocks me with all of his surprises so I'm sure I'll love whatever he planned."

"And did you talk to him about the moving in idea?"

Alexandria's smile slightly faltered at the memory of her conversation with Dean a few days ago. "Well I just decided to take things slow at first and gave him a key to my place. He came around to the idea and told me he'll get me a key made when we return to Tampa. So he didn't completely freak out."

Alyssa smiled softly. Although she was against Dean and Alexandria's relationship at first, she could now see how much the two cared about one another. Alyssa was well aware of how important the upcoming anniversary was for both of them and she hoped everything would go as smoothly as possible. Also hearing how Dean was receptive at the thought of their relationship taking a more serious turn was an indication of how much Dean had grown since since his womanizing days. Dean and Alexandria's relationship was in a great place and Alyssa truly believed they deserved every bit of happiness they brought to each other's lives.

"Alyssa I see you've made it! How are you feeling?"

Alyssa turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. She watched as Stephanie McMahon approached her, an unknown petite younger woman flanking her side. A genuine smile appeared on Alyssa's face as she quickly hugged her boss before pulling away.

"I feel great Stephanie. Glad to be back. Thank you for everything once again."

"No problem. I know how difficult it can be to be a working woman and a mother at once. How are the boys?"

"Besides keeping me up late at night and learning to crawl and getting into more trouble, they're great as well," Alyssa said with a laugh. "Starting to look more and more like Roman each day too."

"I know. He's always showing off pictures to anybody who's willing to look. Enjoy the calm before the storm now because once they get older, it'll get crazier," Stephanie advised as Alyssa nodded her head in agreement. Stephanie turned and gestured to the woman that walked up with her. "Alyssa this is Heather Lewis. Heather, this is Alyssa Reigns our main hairstylist and makeup artist. Alyssa, Heather is the new junior hair and makeup stylist."

"Nice to meet you," Heather greeted with a timid smile, offering her hand for a handshake that Alyssa reciprocated.

Alyssa's eyes did a quick sweep over the younger woman. The girl had almond shaped eyes hidden behind a pair of simple glasses, her black hair swept into a side ponytail. A shy aura surrounded the girl but Alyssa quickly deduced that to being nervous since it was her first day backstage. "Nice you meet you as well," Alyssa responded.

"Since you're only working part time, we decided to hire Heather to do makeup and hair for the days you're not here for the house shows and tapings that aren't after pay per views. So for right now she's going to be shadowing you and learning how to work with the different divas since we know they can be a little opinionated." Alyssa snorted in response making Stephanie chuckle lightly. "I'm sure that won't be a problem right Alyssa?"

Alyssa shook her head. "Not at all."

"Great! Well I'll leave you two be. Alyssa, next time you come on the road bring those handsome boys of yours. I'm sure they'll wow the socks off of everybody here."

Alyssa laughed as Stephanie briskly walked away, her heels clacking against the floor tile. She redirected her attention back to Heather who stoically stood in place. "Ok girl the boss is gone. No need to remain timid around me. Loosen up," Alyssa encouraged.

"Sorry. I'm just nervous. I want to make sure I do a good job."

"It's your first day. If you mess up it'll be understood but trust me you'll be fine. The hardest thing will be dealing with certain divas' attitudes but I'll nip that shit in the bud if they get out of hand. Nothing to worry about.'

Alyssa turned around, her eyes landing on Alexandria who was sitting in the chair designated to divas that were getting their makeup and hair done. "That's my cousin Alex. She's just hanging with us before she goes off to have sex with her boyfriend later."

Alexandria glanced up from her cell phone and smacked her lips. "That's rich coming from you after what I just witnessed between you and your husband tramp," she told her cousin prompting the mother of two to flip her the bird.

* * *

><p>A muffled yawn flowed from Alani's lips as she ran a hand over her messy ponytail while she dodged numerous stagehands backstage, struggling to keep her eyes open. Royal Rumble was in a few hours and her mind was a thousand miles away. Instead of being focused on her pay per view debut after spending the past few months conducting backstage interviews for Raw and Smackdown, she couldn't get her last interaction with Randy out of her mind. She hadn't spoken to him since then and ignored all of his texts as she tried to determine exactly how she felt about his proposition. She could either accept his offer and live with the guilt of him ending a relationship that spanned over several years. Or she could turn him down and constantly wonder what would've happened if she decided to become his girlfriend. Neither choice would be easy to choose and she knew there would be regrets no matter what she decided.<p>

Raucous laughter interrupted Alani's thoughts as she rounded the corner. She stopped in her tracks as she watched two unknown women joke with each other while another one timidly sat to the side and scribbling in a notebook. She glanced down at her iPhone and saw she had exactly an hour and a half to get ready for the show before her first segment of the night.

"Excuse me I'm looking for Alyssa."

One of the women's heads snapped around, her deep brown eyes settling onto Alani. Alani's eyes studied her appearance, admiring the stylish leopard print loafers on her feet before reaching her face again. "I'm Alani. They told me to come here to get my hair and makeup done."

Realization quickly flashed across the woman's face, her pursed lips transforming into a welcoming smile. "Oh great! You're early."

"If you need me to come back-"

"No it's fine! I'm so used to divas taking their sweet ass time getting here I almost forgot how it feels to have somebody being on time. Have a seat." Alyssa turned and faced the woman that was sitting down in the chair she gestured to. "Alexandria get your ass up."

"Is that anyway to talk to your favorite cousin?" Alexandria grumbled as she stood up.

Alyssa ignored her and focused on Alani, ushering her to the chair. She draped a cape over her shoulders. "Just ignore her," Alyssa told Alani.

"Excuse you heffa I'm standing right here and I can hear you." Alexandria tossed her hair over her shoulder and grinned at Alani. "You're the new interviewer right? I'm Alexandria but everybody calls me Alex."

"And that's Heather the new junior hair and makeup stylist." Alyssa pointed to the reserved Asian girl sitting off in the corner.

"Nice to meet you all. So you three work here?" Alani asked, realizing she hadn't seen any of the three women around backstage prior to that moment.

"Well I just returned to work today from maternity leave. Heather just started today. And Alex doesn't work here she just joins her boyfriend Dean on the road from time to time for a quick visit." Alyssa removed Alani's hair from the ponytail and plugged up the tools she was going to use. "So how are you enjoying the gig so far? Getting along with everybody?"

An image of Seth quickly appeared in Alani's head making her scowl. Ever since their latest spat in the hotel cafe in Tennessee, she had been lucky enough to not be subjected to his constant teasing. She was hoping he had gotten the hint to leave her the fuck alone but she wasn't so sure he would back down so easily.

"For the most part. Some people are nicer than others. But I'm not here to make friends. I just want to come and do my job and go home."

Alyssa nodded her head, agreeing with Alani. "Yeah when I first started I kept to myself and just hung out with a select few. It definitely makes surviving around here much easier in the long run because some people can be a little messy with their gossiping."

"And some people can be total creeps or bitches," Alexandria added. She held up her hands as Alyssa tossed her a glare. "You know I'm telling the truth."

Alani giggled and relaxed her body, allowing Alyssa to work her magic. Despite the fact she had just met the two women a few minutes ago, she felt comfortable around them. Ever since she joined the main roster she felt as if everybody was watching her every move from management to the wrestlers to the divas to the other interviewers. But she didn't feel like that around Alexandria and Alyssa and she had to admit this was one of the few times she felt at ease, quickly forgetting about her issues with Randy.

A familiar chuckle echoed through the hallway making Alani groan. She looked in the mirror and watched as Seth walked through the corridor, talking on his cell phone. Her eyes unknowingly traveled over his appearance, observing the pair of slim fitting jeans he wore along with a t-shirt of some band she didn't know. A baseball cap sat perched on his head, covering his two toned hair that was pulled into a low bun and glasses were situated on his face. Alani cleared her throat nervously as she suddenly became parched, quickly looking away when Seth lifted his head, his eyes landing on hers through the mirror. She inwardly sighed as Seth approached the group of women.

"Hello ladies. How are you all doing on this fine evening?"

"Hey Seth. How's it going?" Alyssa greeted while Seth hugged her with one arm.

"You know how it is Mrs. Reigns. Different city, different night, living the life. How are my boys?"

"Good. They love the Bears onsies you bought them. Roman's mad because he says his sons are going to be 49ers fans."

Seth's face wrinkled in disapproval and he shook his head. "We'll make sure that never happens. Don't worry." He turned to face Alexandria who was typing away on her phone and smirked. "Sexting Dean?"

"As if. You know it takes him twenty minutes to send me one sentence. I'm not even going to put that much pressure on him."

Seth chuckled before his eyes landed on Alani. His smirk widened into a grin as he watched her pretend to be busy on her phone. He already noticed her staring at him when he walked down the hallway earlier and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her mind. But if he knew Miss Matthews, she would deny doing such a thing.

"Well don't you look amazing this evening Miss Matthews," he complimented. His tongue snaked out his mouth and coated his bottom lip with saliva, admiring the grey sleeveless dress that hit her kneecaps, the v-neckline giving him a teasing peak of her delectable cleavage. Even without an ounce of makeup on her face and her hair haphazardly strewn over her head as Alyssa styled it, Seth couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful Alani was.

"What, no demeaning nickname from you today? I'm shocked," Alani quipped, not bothering to look up from her phone.

Seth shook his head, his grin still intact and shrugged. "I told you I wanted to start over and I meant it. I think we got off on the wrong foot before Alani. I'm really a good guy."

"I kinda find that hard to believe."

"I'm a gentle soul."

"You're an aggravating menace."

Seth laughed. "You know sooner or later, you're going to see things my way."

Opting to take a chance, Alani looked up from her phone, her eyes locking with Seth's chocolate brown orbs. Her heart slightly rattled against her chest as they held an unwavering stare. "And what way would that be?"

"When it's all said and done, you're going to see that you were definitely wrong about me. And you're going to enjoy being in my presence as opposed to being annoyed by it."

Alani parted her lips to reply when a deep booming voice made her pause. Anticipation made her palms sweat as the voice grew closer, a sign that the person was walking towards her. As she mentally prepared herself to see the man she had avoided the past week to appear, a softer, unknown voice appeared. Alani's brow furrowed as she glanced away from Seth and into the vanity mirror, the sight that greeted her making her heart plummet to her feet.

Randy and his smiling, beautiful girlfriend hanging off his arm.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Well Rolyssa finally communicated, Dalex appears to be on opposite sides, and both of Randy's chicks are in the same space...how will this play out? R&R :-)**_


	6. Six

**_A/N: Once again, thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. I greatly appreciate the love you have shown thus far. Note regarding last chapter: If you all are wondering who is playing Heather (Jr. Hairstylist working with Alyssa) it is none other than Janel Parrish aka Mona Vanderwaal from Pretty Little Liars (A show that I love to hate!) Anyway just a warning to you all: those ovaries you have, you will lose them during this chapter. And you can also say goodbye to those panties as well. Enjoy the very LENGTHY chapter._**

* * *

><p><span>Six<span>

Alani had never seen Randy's girlfriend before. Sure, the desire to stalk his Instagram page for a peak at the woman that seemed to have an inexplainable hex over her lover had crossed her mind a few times. But Alani always chickened out, deciding if there wasn't a face attached to the person Randy was cheating on, she would feel less guilty about the transgression. However, there was no denying who the petite brunette with gorgeous pale blue eyes was. From the way Paul, Randy's friend and boss, smiled warmly at her to the way she gripped onto Randy's index and middle fingers, Alani correctly deduced this was indeed Randy's woman. The one Randy claimed he didn't love anymore but was still with.

Alani's breath hitched in her throat as Randy's eyes locked with hers through the mirror. A range of emotions flashed across his face ranging from shock to fear. Through her confused induced haze she heard Heather tell Alyssa she was going to step to catering for a quick bite to eat, numerous voices of the production workers buzzed around her as they prepared for the show later that night, and Alyssa and Alexandria bickered about the latter trying to plug her phone charger into the outlet Alyssa needed. However, the conversations were simply background noise she didn't pay attention to. The only thing she focused on was the fact Randy was there with his girlfriend. Days after he told Alani he was tired of acting as if his relationship was stable, he was there looking like the happy and satisfied boyfriend. While she had spent her last few off days agonizing over his proposition, he was busy playing the role of faithful boyfriend to his girl. How could she be so damn stupid? How could she truly believe Randy wanted her and only her? It was clear the only thing he wanted was his cake and the ability to eat it too.

Alani quickly turned her head and came face to face with Seth. The two toned hair man stared at her curiously before glancing behind her towards Randy. He nodded his head in greeting to the veteran wrestler, his gaze once again settling on the Jersey native, realization flashing in his eyes. Alani swallowed nervously as concern appeared in his eyes, his face softening as he looked at her. She felt a twinge of nervousness, fearing he witnessed her entire silent interaction with Randy. She worked so hard to keep their affair a secret, she didn't need it to be revealed in front of Randy's girlfriend and her coworkers by the man she had been at odds with for months.

"You okay?"

Shock coursed through Alani's body along with another indescribable feeling. She was so used to Seth being an arrogant prick towards her that hearing his voice laced with gentleness slightly surprised her. She nodded her head, reaching forward to grab her bottle of water.

"I'm good. Just nervous about tonight." She raised the bottle to her lips with a shaky hand.

Seth's eyes slightly narrowed and he stopped himself from scoffing at the lame ass lie. Alani could tell he didn't believer her whatsoever and she slowly saw her secret being exposed with every passing second. She mentally braced herself for Seth to call her out on her bullshit, to reveal her for the no good, downright shameful slut that she was. Instead, he pushed himself off the makeup vanity as a smirk graced his lips.

"I hope you feel better. I need my favorite backstage interviewer to be on her A game tonight, sweet cheeks," he stated with a wink. He turned his attention to Alyssa and Alexandria who he somewhat forgot were standing there and smiled. "I'll see you ladies later."

Once Seth disappeared, Alani dared to glance back into the mirror. A sigh of relief fell from her lips when she saw Randy and his girlfriend weren't standing in the corridor anymore. Her back sagged into the chair as her eyes eased closed, her breathing stabilizing.

"So what was that all about?"

Alani's eyes snapped open and locked onto Alyssa's reflection in the mirror as the woman grabbed her flat iron and separated a piece of Alani's layered hair.

"What are you talking about?"

Alyssa parted her lips, ready to ask what was going on between the rookie and Randy Orton, a man she didn't particularly care for. To an outsider, one would've thought she wasn't paying attention to the stare down between Alani and Randy. But she saw it all and she knew Alexandria and Seth saw it too. It was obvious there was something going on between the two although no words were spoken between them. Alyssa inwardly rolled her eyes at Randy's selfishness, her mild disdain for him slowly becoming more intense.

But once she saw the shame and pain emanating from Alani's gaze she decided to attack another topic instead.

"You and Seth. Was that some flirting I saw?"

Tension left Alani's body and she relaxed, relieved her secret was safe for the time being. She waved her hand dismissively. "No, it was him being the same jackass I've known since I've met him."

Alexandria pulled up a stool next to Alani and plopped down. "I don't know. The way you two were gazing at one another-"

"We were not gazing at each other."

Alyssa snorted in laughter as Alexandria rolled her eyes, not believing a word Alani was saying. "Girl please. Rollins was looking at you like he was a young boy with a crush while you had this glossy, far away dreamy look on your face."

"It was kinda cute actually," Alyssa added.

A deep blush appeared on Alani's face and she shook her head vigorously, chuckling. "Trust me there is nothing cute about the interactions I have with Seth. He's a damn thorn in my side. I tolerate him at work and that's all."

Alani watched as Alexandria and Alyssa shared a look with one another trying to stifle their giggles. "I'm serious! Seth's too damn full of himself and cocky and rude. He grates my nerves!"

"Seth's not rude. He's one of the nicest guys I know," Alexandria countered.

"And arrogant is kinda an exaggeration. He's just confident in his abilities as he should be. He's a hell of a performer and one of the bright spots in the company," Alyssa defended. "Maybe you just need to get to know him a little better to see who he truly is."

Alani held up her hand, shaking her head. "Of course y'all think he's cool. He's best friends with both of your men. If he gets out of pocket with either one of you I'm sure he'll get his ass beat," she said before taking another sip of her water. "He's just been an asshole since I came to the main roster. He constantly makes snide remarks, calls me these stupid ass sexist nicknames that he knows irritate me, and always stares at me like I'm a piece of got damn meat. Seth is a damn pest and I want to choke him half the damn time. So the less time I spend around him, the better it is for my sanity and his safety."

Alyssa giggled at Alani's rant while Alexandria shook her head in amusement, observing how red the woman's face became when discussing Seth. She may have thought she hated seth now but she had an inkling that would change sometime in the future.

"You know what they say Alani."

"What?"

Alexandria grinned. "Denial is just not a river in Egypt girl."

* * *

><p>"So have you made any progress?"<p>

They listened to the other person on the phone intently and stared out the window at the view, the crashing waves calming them.

"Ok well keep me updated. I'll be expecting to hear from you next week."

They ended the call and gripped the phone in their hands. A sick and demented smirk appeared on their lips.

"I take it everything is going according to plan?"

The unknown person turned at the sound of their second accomplice's voice, nodding their head. "So far so good. How about you?"

The accomplice appeared on the mastermind's side and released a content breath as they stared at the scenery through the window. "I'm in the process of putting part one of the plan into motion. Once that's completed, part two will begin." The accomplice placed a hand on the mastermind's shoulder and squeezed. "Everything will start falling into place in no time."

The mastermind's smirk widened into a full blown grin. "Excellent."

* * *

><p>Alyssa nibbled her bottom lip worriedly as her eyes focused on the reading beneath her. Her eyebrows furrowed together and her breathing became slightly shallow as she felt an intense migraine attack her, her skin becoming clammy with sweat. This couldn't be right. There was no way in hell this was accurate. She had did everything to make sure she was careful and taking the proper precaution. But there it was glaring at her. Mocking her. Silently telling her that her hard work was simply in vain.<p>

How the fuck did she gain two more pounds?

Ever since her trip to the mall with Alexandria the week before, Alyssa had become more attentive to her body shape. There were times when she would stare at her naked body in the mirror for minutes after taking a shower, criticizing every flaw her eyes saw. She was developing love handles. There was a slight pudge at the bottom of her stomach. Her thighs were a chicken wing away from touching each other. All her life she had been a slender woman, drawing ire from women around her at her ability to eat as many as 20 boneless wings by herself and not gain a pound. But now, after giving birth to twins, it appeared as if her metabolism had definitely halted and she wasn't allowed such luxuries anymore.

Alyssa was trying so hard to make sure she wouldn't gain a kangaroo pouch for a stomach and return to the frame she had before she gave birth. She cut out her daily intake of french fries. She switched from juice and pop to flavored water, and she despised water. Hell she even tried her hand at salads and tried to stick it out despite salivating at the thought of a juicy double bacon cheeseburger whenever she forced a piece of lettuce into her mouth.

Yet it wasn't working and she still gained two more fuckin pounds.

The logical side of Alyssa knew she was tripping. There would have been plenty of women that wished they weighed as much as she did after giving birth to two babies. She wasn't morbidly obese by any means and still considered slender by societal standards. Yet she definitely didn't feel comfortable in her own body.

And coming back to work exacerbated her insecurities immensely.

The divas in WWE were so glamorous. They were sexy and they were the object of many wrestling fans' desires. Then there was her. The frumpy, mother who rather wear a pair of sweatpants instead of the bandage skirts she used to live in when she first joined the company. Any time Alyssa wore something remotely tight, she immediately changed it for something loose fitting, not wanting to draw attention to the many imperfections her body accumulated in the past several months. None of her friends would ever point them out, but she knew they were there.

Exhaling softly, Alyssa cut off the bathroom light and exited, tugging on Roman's oversized One Versus All t-shirt. She smiled softly at her husband who was laying in bed waiting for her, flipping through channels on the television. He returned her smile as she climbed into the bed.

"I was beginning to think you fell inside the toilet," Roman joked while he turned off the television and placed the remote on the nightstand.

"Just had to make sure I got rid of all the makeup off my face." Alyssa turned away from Roman and laid on her side to plug her phone in her charger. "Did you talk to your mother?"

"Yeah she said the boys are fine although Isaiah wants to crawl everywhere and won't sit still. I swear he's going to be a handful when he gets older with his hyper self," Roman said with a chuckle. He turned his body so he was spooning with Alyssa, wrapping an arm around her waist. He inhaled the scent of her fruit scented shower gel, placing a soft kiss on the base of her neck. "So about that conversation from earlier we were supposed to continue."

Alyssa's eyes fluttered closed as Roman continued to pepper her skin with kisses, her body melting into his. Her legs shook slightly when his long fingers started to untie her pajama pants, his hand slipping inside.

"Rome," she breathed softly, a moan quickly following.

"Baby girl I don't know if I can walk around like this any longer," his deep voice rumbled in her ear as he pressed his pelvis against her ass. He smirked when he heard Alyssa hiss quietly.

Alyssa unraveled Roman's arms from her waist. "Lemme just turn off the light real quick."

Roman pulled her back into the bed, pushing her on her back. He hovered over her body and stared at her intently, his smirk still stuck on his face, his tongue creeping out of his mouth and wetting his bottom lip.

"I don't think so. I want you to watch me as I kiss every inch of your sexy body."

Alyssa's shallow breathing increased as Roman placed another searing kiss on her lips, his hand pushing the pants down her hips. Her body stiffened instantly, making him pull away and raise his brow at her.

"Are you okay?"

Alyssa nodded her head, silently praying he didn't see through her lie as he gazed at her. Concern flashed in his grey orbs and it was at that moment she was consumed with amazement at how handsome he was.

"I'm fine. Just kinda tired I guess. Gotta get used to being back at work and on my feet for hours."

Roman eyed Alyssa warily, the distinct feeling she wasn't being honest with him appearing. He took a mental note of her pulling her pants back up her leg, her shaky hands quickly tying the drawstring.

"Are you sure that's all it is?"

Alyssa turned her head and avoided Roman's stare.

"Gor-"

"I'm fine Roman," Alyssa responded curtly, her tone informing him she didn't want to speak about the topic anymore.

Roman bit his tongue to stop himself from saying something else. He could tell by her body language and the fact she wouldn't look him in the eye something was off. But he didn't want to engage in another argument with her after they made up a few hours earlier.

Sighing softly, Roman rolled onto his side of the bed and turned off the light switch. "Goodnight," he grumbled.

"Night. Love you," Alyssa responded. She released a quiet breath and wiped the tear that rolled down her face when Roman didn't repeat the phrase to her. While she laid in the bed staring into the darkness, grateful she escaped Roman's interrogation, she realized it wouldn't be long before he forced her to tell him what was wrong.

* * *

><p>Sweat dripped from Seth's face as he sat the barbell back on the rack and sat up. His chest heaved up and down with every breath he took, adrenaline coursing through his body. The gym was pretty much deserted since it was late at night. Seth himself should've been in his warm king sized bed resting after his grueling outing in the Royal Rumble match. But for some reason he simply couldn't sleep. He had too much on his mind.<p>

More specifically he couldn't remove Alani from his thoughts.

Ever since his earlier run in with the sassy woman before the show, his thoughts were consumed with her. Despite her insistence she was fine, Seth knew she was lying. And if he was a betting man, he would say her immediate mood change had to do with Randy Orton.

After reading between the lines and the uneasy glances they shared, Seth inferred there was something going on between the two. And if Randy's well known reputation as being a charming and persistent ladies man amongst the divas was any indication, the Davenport native knew their situation was of a sexual nature.

Seth stood to his feet and tossed his towel over his shoulder, exiting the gym. As he patted his pockets looking for his key card, Alani's disappointed eyes haunted him. He could tell she was devastated when she saw Randy's girlfriend hanging off his arm. He didn't know why he was letting this affect him in such a way. It wasn't like he was at fault for her despair. But the moment Seth saw her crestfallen expression, he felt a weird feeling of wanting to make her feel better.

However as quickly as the thought appeared, it vanished. Whatever was going on between Randy and Alani wasn't any of his business. So instead of driving himself crazy with worry, Seth decided to head to the fitness center to relax while everybody else on the roster either went out to party or were sleeping.

Seth's head jerked up when he felt a gush of wind enter the lobby as a random guest entered the hotel. His brow furrowed in confusion when his gaze landed on Alani sitting in the hotel courtyard, her coat pulled closely to her body to protect her from chilly temperature. Foregoing any common sense he had, Seth made his way towards the woman. The brutal wind slapped him in the face as soon as he pushed the door open.

"Alani what are you doing out here?"

Alani's head whipped around when she heard Seth's voice. He felt his anger rise when he observed her blood shot eyes, a clear indication she had been crying before he joined her. She hastily wiped her tears away and shook her head. "I'm fine."

"That is bullshit and you know it."

"Just leave me alone. I'll be fine."

A short, humorless chuckle fell from Seth's lips as he plopped down on the bench next to Alani. He knew he was begging to get sick by being outside in 40 degree weather in just a pair of mesh shorts and a t-shirt soaked with his sweat. He also was probably asking for Alani to backhand him into next month by being so nosey. But his conscience wouldn't allow him to leave the backstage interviewer in her current state.

"Look if you don't want to talk to me about what is really wrong, that's fine. But at least come inside before you get sick."

"Why do you care if I get sick? It is none of your concern."

"Maybe because I'm a nice guy?" Seth shrugged his shoulders. "There always doesn't need to be something in it for me to care about another person's well-being."

It was Alani's turn to chuckle as she turned to face Seth. She felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of his muscles bulging from his t-shirt, his hair a poofy mess. She cleared her throat nervously as she felt her cheeks become flushed while she forced the thoughts from her mind.

"Everybody has an angle Rollins. Nobody is completely unselfish."

Seth sighed as Alani tore her eyes away from his and continued to stare out into the darkness. The pain in her voice was clear and Seth was sure she was referring to Randy. Before that night Seth hadn't had any problems with Randy. Sure there was a general consensus backstage the dude was full of himself and his approach could use a little tweaking. Yet the majority of the roster believed Randy would never change because a true reprimand was never a threat to him since he had a close friendship with Paul.

On the other hand, Seth was well aware backstage gossip had a tendency of blowing simple shit out of proportion since it happened to him a few times before. There were a handful of people that saw Seth as being too cocky for his own good as well but he knew that wasn't the case. That's why he never let what other people said about Randy influence his opinion about him and as far as he was concerned, Randy was okay in his book. However, Seth couldn't help but seethe at the thought of Randy hurting Alani.

"Everybody isn't a selfish jackass like Randy, Alani."

Her head snapped up at the mention of Randy, a scowl quickly appearing on her face. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you looked like you were on the verge of tears earlier when he was at the arena with his girlfriend. I know he looked like a deer caught in the headlights when he saw you. I may not know what I'm talking about but I have a pretty good idea."

Alani shot to her feet and crossed her arms. "Mind your fuckin business Rollins. Whatever you think is going on between me and Randy is for me to deal with and not you."

The curvy woman brushed past Seth to enter the hotel. His hand immediately grasped her arm, stopping her movements. She whirled around to demand he release her as he stood up, his eyes boring into hers.

"You deserve better Alani. You'll realize that sooner or later."

Alani wordlessly snatched her arm from his grasp and smacked her lips before stalking inside the hotel. Seth exhaled and ran a hand over his hair, shaking his head.

* * *

><p>"If you don't keep your hands to yourself, we're going to get arrested for indecent exposure."<p>

"Doll face, we're in Vegas. I'm pretty sure they've seen way worse."

Alexandria giggled as she gripped Dean's hand tighter while she buried her body into his side, sighing happily as his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Her eyes sparkled while she stared into the sky, mesmerized by the hypnotizing array of lights that greeted her. To say she was completely in awe at what Dean put together for their one year anniversary would've been a total understatement. She honestly didn't think he had it in him to be so romantic while still remaining true to himself but yet he proved her wrong.

She had to admit when she first arrived at the airport after the Smackdown taping and learned Dean was taking her to Las Vegas for their anniversary, a twinge of dread zipped through her body. Alexandria knew how much Dean loved the city affectionately nicknamed Sin City but hoped he didn't think partying every night of their brief break was his idea of a romantic getaway.

However, the moment she stepped into their luxurious suite, Alexandria's fears were laid to rest. From a relaxing midday date at a glamorous day spa to the private and sensual dinner date where Dean reserved an entire private dining area to the surprise shopping trip (an outing Alexandria knew Dean only did for her since he hated shopping), their brief reprieve from the outside world was something the Georgia native was sure would be forever embedded into her mind as long as she lived.

But the best part of the trip took place on their last night. After a rather lackadaisical day that included a light brunch and lounging in their hotel suite, Dean promised her their last date of the vacation would be one she would never forget. He came through with his promise when he surprised her with a gondola ride at The Venetian. They enjoyed the gorgeous view of the night skyline as they passed different high end shops, Alexandria slowly felt her heart swell inside her chest. The fact Dean was able to put together such an amazing trip to celebrate the milestone of reaching a year on his own was indicative of how far he had grown as a man since she first met him. Back then, Dean told her he wasn't a good guy and was positive he would be a horrible boyfriend to her. But as Alexandria sat nestled in his muscular arms, she realized neither declaration was true and he was one of the best men she had ever encountered in her life.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Dean's raspy voice interrupted Alexandria's thoughts. She glanced up at him and smiled softly. "Just thinking I wish we could stay here forever. I don't wanna go back," she whined.

"I don't either. But we both kinda have to get back to our jobs or else become homeless. And trust me you can't survive being homeless."

"Why do you think that?"

"Lex you grew up in middle class surburbia all of your life. Hell you get your panties in a twist if the cleaners don't starch your pants for work and you hate touching handles after other people," Dean said with a chuckle.

"People have germs Dean! I'm being safe so I don't get sick!"

"You're a germaphobe babe. A cute germaphobe but a germaphobe nonetheless. Hell you don't even like picnics."

"Why should I subject myself to eating on the ground? Do you know how many insects and bugs would crawl on me?" Alexandria shivered at the thought, shaking her head. "No thank you."

Dean laughed again as he placed a finger underneath Alexandria's chin, tilting her head upwards. He leaned in close to her, their lips inches apart. "You're a damn mess doll face."

Alexandria smirked. "That's kinda rich coming from you, Ambrose."

The two leaned closer before their lips met for a soft kiss. Alexandria ran her fingers through Dean's dry curly hair, pulling him closer. He struggled to stop the guttural groan from spilling out of his mouth as their tongues tangled with one another's. Dean felt himself become dizzy with desire while he focused on how wonderful Alexandria's plush lips felt against his smaller ones, memories of those same lips kissing other parts of his body running through his mind.

The couple pulled away when they needed to breathe, their chests heaving up and down. Alexandria blushed as Dean licked his bottom lip, sampling the fruity taste of her lip gloss that she left on his mouth.

"Are you ready for our last stop darling?" Dean asked after he turned and saw their ride was coming to an end.

Alexandria's brown eyes widened in surprise. "There's more?"

"Of course there is. It's our last night. I had to bring out all the stops." A devilish grin appeared on his lips.

Before Alexandria could ask what else he had up his sleeve, Dean grabbed her hand and helped her out of the gondola. Deciding to not spoil the moment with her incessant questions, Alexandria remained quiet as her boyfriend lead her through the throngs of tourists towards the strip. Her brow raised curiously as she saw the black town car waiting for them before Dean quickly ushered her inside.

30 minutes later, the town car came to a stop. The ride was a silent one as Alexandria tried to determine where Dean was taking her. The windows were tinted so she couldn't see where they were but she knew they weren't at their hotel since they could've walked there from The Venetian.

"Remember when we had the conversation about doing things outside of our comfort zone?"

Alexandria turned and glanced at Dean who sat on her left side. She slowly nodded her head, the conversation in question appearing in her mind. That was a topic that lead to Dean cooking her a birthday dinner when they first started dating and her surprising Dean with her seductive burlesque dance for his birthday. The pair's decision to do something they never thought they would do before had definitely been a bright spot in their courtship.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well I was thinking that on our last night we could do something else that we've never done before."

Intrigue emanated from Alexandria's gaze as she watched Dean reach inside his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. He handed it to Alexandria and held his breath, afraid of what her reaction would be. The two had briefly discussed doing something like this a few months ago but neither followed up on the thought until now. Dean knew he was taking a chance and it could either pay off or bite him in his ass. He just hoped he didn't ruin his and Alexandria's anniversary trip with his idea.

Alexandria glanced up from the phone and stared at Dean, an unreadable expression on her face. "Really?"

"If you're not comfortable with it, then we can leave and go back to the hotel. I'll even watch some of those crappy ass chick flicks you like."

"Dean-"

"I was just trying to be adventurous and romantic. I already did the romantic thing with the gondola ride and this was my idea of doing something off the wall."

"Babe-"

"Oh shit. You hate it don't you? Like you want to whip out your machete and slice and dice me for even bringing you here. I knew I should've listened to Reigns and Rollins and took you to a play or the opera or some shit."

"Wait, you were going to take me to a play or the opera?" Alexandria asked, quickly switching gears.

Dean nodded. Alexandria continued to stare at him before erupting in laughter. Dean's brows knitted together as she continued to laugh hysterically, clutching her side as tears streamed down her face. He chuckled nervously, not knowing whether she was currently having a nervous breakdown.

"I'm sorry I'm just trying to picture you at the opera. Dean, don't take this the wrong way but you would stick out like a sore fuckin thumb!"

"I mean I tried telling them that too but they said relationships are about compromise and shit. And as much as I hate to say it, they're right. So if it was going to make you happy, I was willing to suffer through the shit."

Alexandria's giggles quieted down once the statement left Dean's lips. Adoration twinkled in her eyes as she reached forward and stroked the side of Dean's cheek, cooing softly as his scruffy stubble tickled the pads of her fingers.

"I told you once before I want the real you Dean, not a fake version of you. That'll never change." She pecked his cheek and pulled away. She turned and stared out the tinted window although she couldn't see anything. "So I take it you really want to go here?"

"Only if you want to. Like I said if you're not comfortable we can leave and I won't be pissed."

Her head tilted to the side as she bit her bottom lip pensively. This outing was way out of the realm of anything she had done in her life. There was always the option of returning to the hotel room and resting up before their early flight the next morning.

But then again, life was boring if you continued to do the mundane. Sure, she had did some off the wall things during her relationship with Dean but the thing she enjoyed so much by being with him was how there was never a dull moment with him. He wouldn't look at her crazy if she wanted to try something new and she would return the same courtesy to him. And above all else, she trusted him. Alexandria knew he wouldn't place her in a situation that would endanger her or make her feel self conscious. She had spent most of her life playing things safe. It was time to live a little.

Without a verbal response, Alexandria opened the door and stepped out the town car. She peaked her head inside. "Don't keep me waiting Ambrose."

Dean quickly scrambled out the vehicle and slammed the door shut. His eyes roamed over Alexandria's body which was covered in a grey pleated skirt that stopped at the middle of her calves. A simple black bralet top accompanied the skirt and flat black sandals were on her feet. Even dressed as modestly as she was, Dean still couldn't stop his dick from stirring inside of his underwear at the mere thought of ravaging his girlfriend's body later that night.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, pulling her close and placing a closed mouth peck on her lips. The duo silently approached the discreet front door, no flashy signs or lights drawing attention to the building. After showing their IDs to the bouncer and announcing they had a reservation, Dean escorted Alexandria inside, a nervous energy bouncing off of his body as he stepped over the threshold.

A smirking and mysterious woman greeted them once they stood in the hallway, her eyes drinking in the sight of the couple.

"Welcome to the Adult Playground. Follow me."

* * *

><p>Alani grunted as she struggled to balance all of the bags in her arms, her hand reaching inside her purse for her keys. The smart thing to do would have been to sit the bags down on the floor so she could look inside her purse but she was too stubborn to do things the easy way. That was a trait that she exhibited in every aspect of her life.<p>

It had been a couple of days since she seen Randy with his girlfriend at the arena. Her mind was working overtime, trying to determine what she was going to about the latest mess she was in. Randy had blew up her phone multiple times since that night and she had ignored every single call and text, not wanting to hear whatever excuse or lie he had to spew to try to cover his ass. What could he possibly say or do that would exonerate him from the latest fuck up? He was caught, red handed telling Alani one thing when it was clear something completely different was going on. He had tried to bamboozle her with his web of lies but she now knew the truth. Randy wasn't cheating on his girlfriend because he was unhappy in his relationship. No, he was cheating on her because he was greedy and could do so. It didn't matter whether Alani was the other woman or not. Randy would still find somebody to scratch the itch he had.

A soft sigh tumbled from Alani's lips as her mind wandered to the awkward encounter she had with Seth in the hotel courtyard, his words from that night echoing throughout her mind. _'You deserve better Alani.'_ She knew his statement was true. Hell, she had repeated the mantra to herself several times before. But she didn't know how to feel hearing them from somebody else, from a person that barely knew her. The fact that Seth felt he was knowledgable enough to comment on her situation with Randy rubbed her the wrong way. Alani hadn't confirmed or denied her involvement with Randy but yet she knew deep down Seth was aware. And as much as she tried to pretend she wasn't affected by seeing Randy and his girlfriend, the two toned hair wrestler saw that she was. It was as if he could see right through her, past the guard she spent years building and that made her uneasy.

But why? That's the question that constantly appeared in Alani's mind. Why did it matter whether Seth was able to see the person she was underneath the facade she presented to the world? And more importantly why did it irk whenever she thought about the concern flashing in Seth's brown orbs when he gazed at her during their conversation at the hotel?

"Did you need help with that?"

Alani's body froze at the familiar sound of the deep, hypnotic voice. She slowly turned to see Randy leaning against her apartment door, his hands inserted in his jean pockets. "How did you find out where I lived?"

"Being friends with the boss has its perks."

"Let's see if the boss can bail your ass outta jail when I call the cops."

"Alani don't be like that please. I just came to talk to you. You didn't answer any of my texts or calls."

"That's because I have nothing to say to you," Alani snapped. She finally found her keys. "Now leave."

"Alani, please just hear me out," Randy requested, stepping closer to the woman. He exhaled when she backed away from him. "I can explain."

Alani chuckled wryly. "You can explain? So what you mean to tell me is there is a perfectly logical explanation as to why you popped up with your girlfriend, the same woman who you claim you don't love anymore?"

"Yes."

"You know what save it Randy!" Alani roughly pushed him away from her and walked towards her apartment. She quickly unlocked the door and rushed inside. She quietly yelped as Randy muscled his way into the apartment when she tried to close the door.

"Dammit why are you so fuckin stubborn?!" Randy growled before kicking the door closed.

"What is there to say Randy? You and your girl look happy despite the shit you told me about the love not being there anymore. Clearly that was a lie because you didn't look like you were suffering Sunday night and she looked like she adored you every single time she looked at you. I can't believe I was so damn stupid!"

"You're not stupid."

"Stupid, foolish, and gullible. That's what I am when it comes to you Randy. But I deserve better. And seeing you two together was the powerful slap in the face I needed to wake me the fuck up and start demanding better."

"Why is this upsetting you like this?"

Alani whirled around to face Randy, an incredulous stare on her face. "Are you fucking serious right now?!"

"You're always saying I need to remember the nature of our arrangement. But now you're getting mad that you saw me with my girlfriend, a woman that you knew I was involved with. Seems like to me you've forgotten what our roles are."

"You have to be kidding me! You're going to turn this around on me? Really?!" Alani exclaimed. "I'm not the one who lied. I may have known that you were in a relationship but you made it seem like it was an unhappy one. That the only reason you were still with her was because of your history with her. But Randy we both know you're with her because you want to be. And you're only fucking me because you can."

"Lani-"

"I'm always the side chick and never the girlfriend. And maybe that's my fault as well because I placed myself in this predicament and because I always choose the men that are no fuckin good for me. But I'm done. I'm done with you. I'm done with this!"

"Look me in my eye and tell me that's what you really want," Randy demanded as he stepped closer to Alani. He grabbed her arm tightly, holding her in place. "If you can tell me right now you don't want shit to do with me then I'll leave Alani. I'll leave you alone and we can go our separate ways."

She felt her bottom lip tremble as her stare landed everywhere but Randy's face. A sense of deja vu claimed her as memories of the night she first learned he was in a relationship swirled through her mind. She had spoke with a similar conviction that night too but the moment she gazed into his orbs, she transformed into instant putty in his hands and lost every lick of sense God gave her.

But he was giving her the out that she so desperately needed. Her mind argued with her emotions telling her that remaining with him was not going to end well. She would always get the short end of the stick and always take a backseat to the girlfriend. Valentine's Day was rapidly approaching. Did Alani truly think that Randy would spend the day with her and not his woman? If anything, the two of them would spend time together in one of their rooms away from the public on the day after Valentine's Day, the unofficial Side Chick holiday.

And the secrecy wouldn't stop there. It would continue for days, weeks, months, hell even years if Alani didn't put her foot down and take a stand. If she didn't will herself to walk away from Randy. Her decision at that moment would determine exactly what she thought of herself. Did she think she was worthy of such a distinction of being somebody's girlfriend? To actually be introduced to a man's family as such and being flaunted around in public? Or had her past failed relationships destroyed the fairytale dream she had and made her settle to become a sexual plaything for men?

"Alani, what is it going to be?"

She exhaled deeply and raised her head, honey brown locking onto deep ocean blue. Her lips parted but no words came out while she went through the silent battle.

"You can't do it can you? You know deep down inside you want me just as much as I want you don't you? Because baby I do want you. The only reason she was with me was because she surprised me at my hotel before I left for the arena. I would never bring her around and parade our seemingly perfect relationship in front of you. I care about you too much for that. And deep down, despite all this bullshit of you trying to pretend to act tough, you know that you care about me too. That's why you haven't left yet and that's why you won't leave."

Alani's body remained rigid as Randy's hand dropped and his arms encircled her waist. Her body collided with his making a whimper flow from her mouth at the contact. Orton placed a soft kiss on her forehead before his lips traveled down her face, planting smooches on the bridge of her nose and both of her cheeks. He finally reached her lips and he stopped, pulling away slightly.

"I know it's hard for you but I promise you, this charade of a relationship will be over soon Alani. I told you I'm tired of pretending with my girlfriend. And I am. That's why when the time is right, I'm ending things with her so I can be with you."

Before Alani could protest, Randy claimed her lips in a searing kiss that caused her to slightly stumble. His hold on her hips tightened as his tongue broke apart the seam of her lips and probed her mouth. Despite her better judgment, Alani moaned and gripped the front of Randy's t-shirt, her own tongue tangling with his. Without warning, he scooped her into his arms and proceeded towards her bedroom.

Clothes went flying every which way, neither party caring where they landed as they continued to feverishly kiss one another. Once they arrived to Alani's bedroom, Randy tossed her on the bed and started to strip out the rest of his clothes. While she watched him, the woman pushed all of the nagging thoughts from her mind, determined to enjoy the passionate moment between the two of them.

However the moment she eased her eyes closed, an image of Seth's concerned face appeared, his words echoing.

_"You deserve better Alani. You'll realize that sooner or later."_

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?"<p>

A noticeable shiver ran the length of Alexandria's spine as Dean's gravelly voice oozed into her ears. His fingers lazily traced the exposed skin on her abdomen as she sat perched on his lap, watching with a vested interest the scene unfold before the two of them. She slightly turned her head to respond when a loud groan made her pause, her attention turning back to what was happening.

She felt her body become flushed as she gawked at the tall muscular man laying on the bed palming the head of the petite blonde nestled below him, giving him one of hell of a blow job. The woman eagerly slurped and sucked, her pace frantic so that she could bring her partner to the brink of orgasm. The man's hand dropped from her head and reached up towards the busty brunette woman that sat on top of his face. His index finger applied pressure to her anus as his tongue thrusted in and out of her, the thumb on his other finger rubbing her clitoris. The second woman moaned loudly as she slightly humped the man's face, twisting her nipples in pleasure.

If one were to ask Alexandria what did she believe Dean would plan for their one year anniversary, she never would've guessed the two would attend a place like this. The Adult Playhouse was like heaven for the sexually liberated. Whether you wanted to act out your fantasies that ranged from swinging, bondage, exhibitionism, or other various acts or even if you simply wanted to watch others engage in such activities, the place had something for everybody. While there were a few people there by themselves, for the most part the two story warehouse that sat on the outskirts of Vegas was filled with couples wanting to add a little spice to their sex life.

The moment Dean showed her the establishment's web page on his phone, Alexandria was immediately shocked. This was a complete 180 from the romantic gondola ride he surprised her with. As soon as they walked inside and observed what was going on, her thoughts and emotions were jumbled. Part of her felt like she should've been upset with Dean for ruining such a wonderful trip with a salacious outing. But then the other side of her was bubbling with excitement. The couple had previously had a brief discussion about experimenting with a few things sexually but Alexandria never would've thought Dean would jump start everything on their mini vacation. However as much as Alexandria wanted to appear she was appalled by the place Dean brought her, the wetness that was soaking her panties told a different story.

"I'm fine," Alexandria whispered, quickly remembering that Dean asked her a question. She turned to face him and smiled.

Dean smirked as his hand dropped to the waistband of Alexandria's skirt. "So do you like what you see?" he gestured to the three adults that continued to please one another.

"It's okay." She shrugged her shoulders.

Dean's smirk widened as his hand slipped inside Alexandria's skirt. Before she could stop him, his finger brushed against her cotton panty covered slit. He groaned as he felt how damp her underwear was.

"No need to be facetious doll face. Go ahead and tell me how much that's turning you on."

Alexandria exhaled quietly as her breath started to quicken to match the pace of Dean's finger stroking her. She squeezed his thigh as her eyes remained focused on the threesome happening in front of her. The man was now plunging into the petite blonde from the back while she ate out the brunette, spreading her legs wide. Alexandria flinched when she felt Dean's tongue on her earlobe, his steady breathing invading her ears.

"You like watching her get her pussy ate darling? That reminds you of the times when I devour this sweet pussy doesn't it?"

Alexandria's head lulled backwards and rested on Dean's shoulder as she shifted on his lap, slightly grinding her ass onto his dick. She was currently going through a sensory overload from watching the erotic scene before her to listening to Dean whispering nasty things in her ear to loving the way he was stroking her clitoris with just the slightest amount of pressure. Her panties by this time were completely destroyed with her juices and her mouth was salivating at the thought of her and Dean returning back to their hotel room and staying up pleasuring one another until the crack of dawn.

"Dean, I need-" A loud moan slipped from Alexandria's mouth when she felt Dean pinch her nub, halting her sentence.

"You need what Lex? I didn't quite catch that."

Alexandria's eyes eased closed as the whimpers from the females having sex grew louder, both threatening to reach their climax soon. Alexandria closed her legs tightly, to try to stop the throbbing of her clitoris but it did nothing but increase the pressure on the bundle of nerves. Dean chuckled lowly and placed a sloppy kiss on the side of Alexandria's head.

"Closed mouths don't get fed doll face. Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. I'd give you the whole got damn world if you want it but you gotta tell me."

A loud grunt made Alexandria's eyes pop open just in time to watch the brunette woman tumble off the edge of the cliff and experience an earth shattering orgasm. Alexandria watched with intrigue as her body squirmed and raised from the bed as tremors of pleasure washed over her.

She turned her head to look at Dean, determined browns locking onto hazy blues. "Fuck me."

Dean smiled. "I thought you would never ask. Let's get out of here now before I fuck you in front of all these people."

Alexandria giggled as she stood up on wobbly legs. "What's wrong with that idea?"

"I don't want everybody to see what's for my eyes only Alex. I don't like sharing."

Without another word, Dean grabbed Alexandria's hand and led her out of the warehouse, his steps brisk and deliberate. Now wasn't the time to play around. His girlfriend was prime and ready for a bout of intense sex and he was damn near about to burst open his zipper with his concrete hard cock.

The second the couple settled into the town car, Alexandria pounced on Dean taking him by surprise. Their lips clashed against one another's as she ripped open his button up t-shirt and threw it to the side. Dean had never seen this side of his girlfriend but he definitely wasn't complaining. In fact he enjoyed it tremendously.

"Can't wait to get back to the hotel huh?" Dean joked smugly.

"Shut up and take off your belt. This is just a preview of what's going to happen when we get back."

Chuckling, Dean unbuckled his belt with one hand while his other pressed the button to raise the partition that separated the front part of the car with the back. He roughly pushed his pants down his hips, revealing his boxer brief clad crotch, a small wet spot indicating pre cum was oozing from his dick.

His fingers fumbled with the zipper on Alexandria's top before he finally got it undone and tossed it to the side to join his shirt. He licked his lips in appreciation at the sight of Alexandria's hardened nipples. Unable to stop himself, Dean buried his face in her cleavage, sucking and placing kisses on her skin. His mouth moved to her left breast and engulfed her nipple, his tongue circling the flesh and flicking it rapidly. Alexandria arched her back as Dean repeated the same action to her right breast, cooing softly as she palmed his head, her fingers running through his messy hair.

"Dean, I can't wait any longer babe. I need you," Alexandria begged softly. She grabbed for Dean's underwear wishing she had enough strength to rip the offending fabric off his body.

"You need me huh? How bad do you need me?" Dean teased while he placed his hands on top of Alexandria's. They both pushed the article down, allowing his cock to spring free.

Alexandria licked her lips at the appearance of the item she wanted most. Without responding, she hiked her skirt up and pulled down her ruined panties, kicking them out of her way. She grabbed the base of Dean's dick and slipped it inside of her, making both of them groan in unison at the invasion. Her body froze in place as she pressed her forehead against Dean's, her chest raising with every breath she took and pressing into his.

"You okay?" Dean asked as he burrowed his face into Alexandria's neck and inhaling her satisfying scent.

"It just seems like you get bigger every single damn time," Alexandria replied with a soft giggle.

A cheeky grin spread across Dean's lips. He slapped Alexandria's ass roughly making the younger woman yelp in shock. "Go ahead and show me why you wanted my cock so badly."

Not needing to be told twice, Alexandria sat upright and started to move her hips. Dean's hands latched onto her as he watched her face contort in pleasure, her hair falling around her face and framing in. Sweat accumulated on her skin as her eyes eased closed again while she bit her bottom lip. Dean admired how beautiful his girlfriend looked while she rode his cock slowly, her speed gradually increasing. No matter how sweaty she got whenever they had sex, Alexandria would always be one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on.

"You're so naughty Alex. That scene in there got you excited didn't it doll face?"

Alexandria nodded her head. "Yeeeeesss."

"You're absolutely dripping on my dick." Dean's head leaned back and rested on the headrest as he felt Alexandria's walls grip him. His grip on her waist tightened as Alexandria started to bounce up and down. "That's right Alex. Bounce on this dick. Cum for me right fuckin now."

Alexandria placed her hands on Dean's muscular chest and braced herself as her movements turned erratic. Her moans became louder as Dean raised his hips off the seat and plunged into her, the tip of his penis hitting the spot that most women thought didn't exist. Her body shuddered when she saw how Dean gazed at her, his teeth clamping into his lip in concentration, his messy hair drenched with his sweat and becoming stringy. A chill ran through her body as she observed an unknown glint in Dean's eyes. It wasn't just lust or desire but it was something deeper than that, a glimmer that she knew was emanating from her own stare.

Her trance was interrupted when she felt Dean's middle finger land on her clitoris. Heat invaded her core as her moans turned into screams, her body frantically raising and falling onto Dean's dick. She was so close, so fuckin close that she could taste it but it was as if the happy ending she desperately wanted was still out of her grasp. However, the moment Dean pinched her clitoris, Alexandria quickly fell apart.

"DEAN!" she screamed as her body shook with her orgasm. She convulsed as the pleasure rolled through her body, her pussy clamping onto Dean's dick.

Watching Alexandria experience her own orgasm, triggered Dean's. A loud curse filled the car and Dean's hot seed erupted inside of Alexandria. His body hit the seat and Alexandria landed on top of him, burying her head into his neck. His cock remained inside of her, neither party wanting to separate just yet.

Dean ran his hand down Alexandria's spine as they both tried to relax their breathing. He placed a soft kiss on her neck behind her ear which made her coo softly. "Happy anniversary darling."

Alexandria raised her body slightly so she could stare Dean in his eye. A lazy, lopsided grin appeared on her face as she stared at the man that meant so much to her, that had changed her life for the better since the first time they met a year ago. They weren't supposed to last as long as they did, hell some probably still wished for the demise of their relationship. But Alexandria couldn't remember the last time she felt so happy and satisfied like she did at that particular moment.

"I love you," Alexandria said softly.

Icy blue orbs widened once Dean heard the statement leave Alexandria's lips. Silence surrounded the couple as her brown eyes searched his face, waiting for him to respond to her quiet but firm declaration.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So we all know, I'm the Queen of Cliffhangers so I had to end the chapter there. How will Dean respond? How will Alex react? Has Seth finally decided to stop being an ass to Alani? When will Alani grow a backbone? And what the hell is up with Alyssa NOW? R&R for the next chapter to find out :-)**_


	7. Seven

_**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. Less than 10 chapters and I'm over 70 reviews. I LOVE IT! Keep em coming! Also, I have a poll up asking your opinion about something I've been wondering lately. So please make sure to vote! But now onto the update! Enjoy.**_

* * *

><p><span>Seven<span>

"Wait, you said what?!"

Dean cringed slightly as Roman's voice bellowed throughout the living room, the older man staring at him as if he had three heads. He lowered his gaze from his best friend's, choosing to stare at the simple pattern of the onsie Ethan wore while nestled in his arms.

"Dean, tell me you're fuckin joking!"

"Um I wish I could."

Seth laughed loudly and shook his head as he walked into the room, placing a bottle of water in front of Dean before plopping down on the couch next to him. "Dude, you're a dumbass."

"A dumbass that's going to get shanked by my wife when she finds out what you did."

Dean groaned and tilted his head backwards, staring into the ceiling. He and Alexandria were back in Tampa from their brief romantic getaway and it was safe to say the elation the two of them experienced while away was no more. Dean simply couldn't wrap his mind around how quickly things went sour between him and Alexandria but he knew he had nobody to blame but himself.

"I know I fucked up. You two don't have to remind me."

"Oh no. Fucking up is you forgetting her birthday or some shit. This is beyond fucking up dude."

"I was scared and caught off guard! I didn't know what to do or say!"

"Anything would've been better than what you said! The girl that puts up with your issues and quirks tells you she loves you and you say-"

"Right back at cha," Seth interrupted with a chuckle. His laughter intensified as Dean flipped him the bird.

"What were you thinking? Hell were you even thinking?"

Dean exhaled and stood, walking towards the baby bassinet sitting in the living room and laying Ethan down next to Isaiah who was busy entertaining himself with his teething ring. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. His voice contorted in confusion when an unknown number flashed across his scree and ignored the call.

Dean turned to face his two best friends and shrugged. "I mean..I…fuckin panicked. Is that what you two want to hear?"

"Clearly you panicked. Our question is why did you? You had to know that this day was coming where Alex would profess her love for you. Hell anybody could see it all across her face how she feels about you."

Dean stuffed his hands inside his pockets. "You two wouldn't understand."

"Well make us understand." Roman pointed to the seat Dean previously occupied, silently ordering him to sit.

Seth and Roman watched as Dean dejectedly sat on the couch, running a hand through his unruly stringy hair. The Cincinnati native really didn't want to pour out his heart to his best friends but he knew they wouldn't judge him. They had come to terms with the type of person he was and accepted him for all his wonderful traits and horrible flaws. But it still felt weird as hell talking about his feelings for Alexandria when they should've been discussing sports or something similar.

"I'm not used to people telling me they love me. Hell I don't even know the last time I heard somebody say that word to me while they were sober and not trying to get laid by me. And you're right Rollins, I've known for a while Lex has been in love with me. There's no denying our feelings for one another are intense. But to hear her say that added with the way she was looking at me as if I was the man of her dreams freaked me the fuck out."

"But why?"

"Because nobody loves me. My own father didn't love me that's why he left before I learned how to walk. My own mother didn't love me and she made sure to tell me that multiple times. Now I have this wonderful, amazing woman here who can have anybody she wants and yet she wants me and loves me. Like this has to be a sick fucking joke."

Roman shook his head. "It's not a joke. Alex is in love with you. She gave up her relationship with Alyssa for you. She's at odds with her father because of the way he treats you. Damn, she even got on stage in front of a bunch of strangers and gave you a strip tease. If that's not love Ambrose, I don't know what is."

"Do you love Lex, Dean?" Seth asked.

"It's not that simple."

Seth exhaled and Roman tossed his hands in the air. "Fuck you mean it's not that simple?"

"I mean deep down inside I know I do. I know she's the only woman for me and nobody else will compare to her. But whenever I think about telling her, I start panicking. My breathing becomes difficult, I start breaking out into a cold sweat. Like I just can't bring myself to say those words yet. Hell, I've never said those words before."

Seth and Roman shared a look before focusing their attention back to Dean. "Wait, you never loved anybody before?"

"Hell I've never been in a relationship before. How the hell do you expect me to be in love?" Dean dragged his hands over his face. "All of this is new to me you know? I didn't mean to hurt Alex. I never want to hurt her but I was definitely at a loss of words and just said the first thing that came to mind."

Roman's scowl disappeared as he sympathetically looked at Dean. Sometimes he forgot how much of a novice his best friend was when it came to was bound to fuck up from time to time but it was never his intent to treat his girlfriend harshly. Although Roman was upset with Dean for the way he handled things with Alexandria, he finally understood why he reacted the way he did and uncovered a truth Dean tried so desperately to hide.

He was afraid.

He feared Alexandria potentially leaving him (despite her insistence that she never would). He feared pushing her away because of his own actions. And he was truly afraid that her love would disintegrate after being with him for so long. As a wrestler, Dean was conditioned to never be afraid of taking risks whether it was in the ring or with his promo work because it could potentially help his career. But when it came to matters of the heart, the idea petrified him.

"Have you told Alex what you just told us?"

"She won't even answer my calls. Not that I can blame her." Dean shook his head and sighed. "I would've rather she lashed out at me and call me every damn name in the book. But instead, she's been giving me the silent treatment since that night. The look in her eye when I didn't say it back damn near tore me apart."

"Dude you have to talk to her. She thinks you may not feel the same way about her like she feels about you which is a woman's worst nightmare. Let her know that you do care about her but you just need some time to verbally express your feelings because it's not easy for you," Seth advised. "Hell she can't expect you to be the perfect boyfriend in your first relationship and I'm sure she'll understand."

"Seth's right. You have to talk to her before we go back on the road. That way your head won't be focused on your personal life and you can focus in the ring."

A skeptical look crossed Dean's face. "I'll see what I can do."

"Don't see what you can do. Fix it. And do it quickly because once Alyssa and Naomi find out what happened, they're going to plot your death and hatch a plan to get away with it," Roman warned him. He reached inside the playpen and picked up Isaiah before heading into the kitchen to find his bottle.

"Fine I'll fix it. Just keep your shank wielding better half away from me," Dean requested. He turned to face Seth, raising a brow. "For somebody that's not in a relationship you sure do have a lot of advice."

"Well I've had girlfriends before Dean so I kinda know what to do and not do so they can remain happy."

"Yet you piss off Alani every single chance you get," Roman added from his spot in the kitchen. He chuckled as his son greedily sucked from the bottle while trying to snatch the item from his hand.

"I guess that's his way of flirting with her because I heard they shared a moment at the Rumble."

Seth rolled his brown orbs and scoffed. Memories of him and Alani talking in the hotel courtyard appeared in his mind and made his smile slightly falter. He hadn't seen her outside of work since that night and he couldn't help but wonder how she was doing after seeing Randy with his girlfriend. Seth knew he shouldn't care so much about her emotional well being but he just couldn't remove the thought from his mind.

"I just love how the rumor mill exaggerates every fucking thing. We did not share a moment with one another. She's still acting as if she hates me anyway."

"Oh no. I don't think that's an act. She can't stand your ass man," Dean said causing Roman to chuckle. Seth dismissively waved Dean off.

"Anyway I thought you were too focused on your career to care how she feels about you."

"I am. But I mean there's nothing wrong with flirting here and there. It's all harmless really."

"Well it better remain that way. I heard she's involved with someone," Roman added.

"Really? I wonder who."

Roman shrugged his shoulders as he entered the living room. He chuckled as Isaiah tried to grip his loose hair, giggling. The father handed the baby to Dean who awkwardly grabbed him before he passed him to Seth. Seth's face twisted in confusion as he silently prayed Isaiah wouldn't start screaming at the top of his lungs since he wasn't being held by his father anymore.

"Yeah somebody on the roster is the rumor that's going around. Nobody knows who though. Apparently she's quiet and keeps to herself."

Seth bit his tongue to stop himself from blurting out the identity of Alani's secret beau. He didn't even have concrete evidence that his suspicion was true and was merely going off of a gut feeling. Nonetheless, he didn't feel comfortable spilling Alani's business to his friends since he felt that wasn't his place to do so.

Instead, Seth shrugged his shoulders and reclined in his spot on the couch, laying Isaiah on his chest. "Like I said I'm just merely having fun teasing Alani nothing more than that. So whoever her man is doesn't have to worry about me trying to steal his woman away from him," he told his friends before picking up his cell phone with his free hand and scrolling through his text messages.

* * *

><p>"Hey, are you okay?"<p>

Alyssa briefly glanced away from the traffic in front of her towards Naomi who was sitting in the passenger seat. She flashed her a quick smile before turning back around.

"I'm good."

"You sure? Because you've been kinda quiet this entire ride. Is everything okay?"

Memories of her minor freak out moment in her and Roman's hotel room the night of the Rumble flashed through Alyssa's mind. The incident had replayed multiple times since that night and she was still feeling unsettled about everything although Roman hadn't pressed her to tell him what was wrong. "Everything's good. Just thinking about some things."

"I see," Naomi said with a nod. "Well did you want to talk about it? I know we haven't talked like we used to since I'm busy with work and you're busy with the boys but I'm always here to listen."

Alyssa turned into the parking lot of Alexandria's apartment building and quickly found a park. She turned the engine off and faced Naomi.

"Well now that you mention it, I was wondering if you could help me."

"Help you with what?"

Alyssa exhaled softly and nervously bit her bottom lip. She had been considering her next plan of action to help her gain the shape she once had and her solution, while effective, was something she had no idea about and needed help with. "I was looking to start exercising and was wondering if you could help me get started. You know the only cardio I ever did was walking through the mall and spending money I didn't have."

"Exercise?" Naomi's brow crinkled in confusion. "Girl what the hell are you exercising? You're like a size 2!"

Alyssa stopped herself from rolling her eyes at Naomi's reaction and subconsciously wrapped her arms around her body. Of course her friend would react like that once she heard the mother's request. "I just need a hobby to keep me busy when I'm home so I won't go on shopping sprees. And I figured this would be a productive way to stay busy," Alyssa stated, hiding the true reason behind her newfound interest in hitting the gym.

Naomi continued to stare at Alyssa in silence causing her friend to squirm underneath her gaze. The diva had a feeling deep in her stomach that Alyssa was holding back something but she didn't want to push her too much. Whatever issues the woman was going through would soon come to light and Naomi would make sure she was there to help her.

"Well exactly what did you need help with? Finding a gym? Finding exercise DVDs? Or trying to decide what workouts you should do?"

"I guess everything," Alyssa replied with a chuckle. "I haven't worked out in years so I wouldn't know where to begin."

The two women climbed out of Alyssa's car and slammed the door shut before making their way towards Alexandria's apartment complex. "Well I can help you. Just let me know exactly what you want to work on."

Alyssa nodded her head in response as they approached Alexandria's apartment and knocked on the door. It swung open a few seconds later revealing a red eyed Alexandria.

"What the fuck is wrong?" Alyssa asked, her demeanor quickly switching to protective big cousin mode. She brushed past Alexandria and walked into the apartment, throwing her purse on the kitchen table.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Remember we're supposed to go to lunch. We made plans before you left for your trip so we can catch up," Naomi reminded her.

Alexandria sighed and softly closed the door. She trudged towards her sofa and plopped down, hanging her head low. "I forgot all about that. Can we reschedule or something?"

"Well that's not a problem. But we're not leaving until you tell us why it looks like you've been crying since you got back to town."

"Maybe because I have."

Naomi and Alyssa glanced at one another, silently realizing that Alexandria's mood must've had something to do with Dean. Naomi walked into the kitchen to grab something to drink for the three of them while Alyssa took a seat next to Alexandria. She tossed her arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.

"What happened?"

"I'm so stupid. Shit, I'm so damn stupid!"

"Don't say that shit. Now what happened? Is it Dean?"

At the mention of the auburn haired man's name, Alexandria resumed sobbing loudly, burying her head in the crook of Alyssa's neck. The makeup artist's jaw twitched as she soothingly rubbed Alexandria's back in a circular motion. Naomi and Alyssa remained quiet as Alexandria continued to cry on Alyssa's shoulder. They didn't know exactly what happened between the couple but Alyssa did know if Dean hurt her cousin in anyway, she was going to break his fuckin jaw.

"Alex, we can't help if you don't tell us what happened," Naomi said after a few minutes.

Alexandria sniffled as she shook her head. "I don't know if it can be fixed."

"Well how about you talk to us and then we'll see."

Alexandria sighed before tucking her leg underneath her booty, running a hand through her unruly hair. "I..Well..I…I told Dean I loved him."

"That's a good thing right?" Naomi probed with a tiny smile. She turned to look at Alyssa who kept her same neutral expression. "I mean we all knew you two loved each other for a while we were just waiting for you two to say it."

"See that's the thing. I'm the only one who said it."

Naomi's smile fell. "What?"

"So what did Dean say after you told him?"

Alexandria glanced up towards the ceiling to stop the tears from rolling down her face once again. The words replayed in her mind as her bottom lip quivered. "Right back at cha."

"Naw, Dean didn't say that goofy shit. I refuse to believe that," Naomi said.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as Alyssa and Naomi digested the information. They waited for Alexandria to tell them she was playing a joke on them but she never did. Instead she just blew her nose into her crumpled piece of Kleenex.

"Well believe it because he said it. And that's a direct quote by the way."

"I'm going to kill him," Alyssa calmly declared.

"Lyssa-"

"Don't Lyssa me Naomi. He has to die. I'll make sure I'm not caught and I can find a secluded place to dump the body."

"Let's just-"

"Ethan and Isaiah will be out of a God Father but they don't know him well enough so he can easily be replaced."

"Now wait a minute. Before you start picking out your murder weapon of choice, let's talk about this. I'm sure there's more to the story than him simply saying, _'Right back at cha,'_ and leaving it at that," Naomi insisted. "I mean we've all seen how Dean looks at you, we've heard how he gushes about you, and he treats you like a queen. That man adores you Alex."

"He doesn't adore me enough to tell me he loves me. I mean maybe I could've done it at a better time ya'know. Having sex in the backseat of a town car is not the most ideal place to declare your love for someone at. But it was just the look on his face after I said it. It was like he was shocked I would say something like that. Like the thought of being in love with me was terrifying."

"I mean, that's not surprising at all though is it really?" Naomi held up her hands when Alexandria's head whipped around to stare at her. "Just hear me out Lex. Dean has always been weird about relationships. He didn't have the loving upbringing that you had, even if your parents were too damn controlling. So to hear somebody he cares about say those words, words he has rarely heard himself or said to somebody else, he probably was scared out of his mind and didn't know how to react."

"I just thought, I would be different. I've told Dean numerous times I would never leave him and he is the only man I want. I thought his insecurities would've been put to rest by now."

"Sometimes it's not that easy. I know when Ro and I first got together it was hard for me to trust him because of shit I went through with Justin. It took me a long time to embrace the happiness I felt by being with Roman and not worry about things possibly going downhill. And once I finally did, yes it was gratifying but I was still terrified," Alyssa said with a chuckle. "Yet Roman has been patient with me and helped me these past few years. And little by little my fear has dissipated. You need to do the same thing for Dean."

"I know but-"

"But nothing Alex. Lemme ask you a question. Do you think Dean would've stayed with you for an entire year and continuously dote on you, plan this elaborate trip to celebrate your anniversary and not give a damn about you? Hell, this man scaled the side of your parents' house last year to win you back. Does that seem like the actions of a man that isn't in love with you? There's no doubt in my mind he loves you but maybe he's afraid to tell you."

Alexandria exhaled and reached for more tissue, blowing her nose. Alyssa's words swirled through her mind as she reminisced about the past year. All the times Dean's face lit up whenever she walked into the room. The time they stayed up to the wee hours of the morning binge watching his old matches as he told her stories about his days in the indy circuit. Or the time when he tried to eat the chitlins she cooked for Thanksgiving, despite the disgusted expression on his face whenever he took a bite. The memories they shared after reconciling last May were nothing short of wonderful. Yet here she was doubting Dean's feelings for her after one night compared to the past twelve months.

"I fucked up didn't I?" Alexandria asked with a slight shake of her head

"No. You simply reacted how any woman would've," Naomi said with a tiny smile. "I'm pretty sure I would've slapped Jimmy upside his head if he didn't tell me he loved me after I said it."

"And Roman's clothes would've been tossed in the street if he pulled that shit on me," Alyssa added, making the three friends laugh. "Have you talked to Dean?"

Alexandria diverted her gaze making Alyssa smack her lips. "Girl, talk to him and hear him out. I'm sure this can all be fixed. You two went through too much to even let this come between you."

Alexandria nodded and smiled. "Thanks for listening. If Cameron was here, she would've been trying to find me a new boyfriend before I finished the story," she stated with a roll of her eyes.

"No problem. Ambrose is a lot like me. He means well. His execution at times just needs some tweaking. Just gotta be patient with him." Alyssa stood up and pulled her cousin to her feet. "In the mean time, you need to get in the shower and bathe. You stink and you're violating my nostrils."

"Oh fuck you tramp. I dealt with your pregnant ass farting all the damn time for months," Alexandria said as she made her way towards her bathroom.

* * *

><p>Seth winced as he gingerly walked backstage, passing a few workers and wrestlers, tilting his head in greeting. He loved his job but there were times when performing night after night and putting his all into every one of his matches took a toll on his body. However, now was not the time to complain. It was Monday which meant another sold out crowd was at the arena, ready for another show of Raw. Seth as usual was on the card but before his match, he was scheduled for a backstage interview with Alani.<p>

He swallowed awkwardly as thoughts of Alani swarmed his brain. He was surprised he hadn't ran into the backstage interviewer and once again he couldn't help but wonder about her wellbeing. Seth knew he shouldn't care. But for some inexplainable reason he had this innate desire to make sure she was okay.

Seth rounded the corner, his chocolate brown orbs landing directly on Alani. She was busy talking to one of the writers from the creative team, her back facing him. He took the time to observe her appearance. Her curvy frame was dressed in a flattering turquoise blue dress, brown cognac heels on her feet. Her hair was curled to perfection and her plump lips were coated with gloss. Just a reminder that Alani was in fact one of the most beautiful women that worked for WWE. Seth shook his head, snapping himself out of the trance he was in. He cleared his throat loudly, grabbing the attention of Alani and the writer as he walked towards them.

"Sorry if I'm late."

"No problem Seth, I was just briefly going over a few minor script changes with Alani," Derrick, the writer, told him.

Seth nodded his head and turned his attention to Alani. He felt a weird fluttering sensation in the pit of his stomach when he caught a hint of a tiny smile on her face.

"Ok. Let's get this done."

For the next 15 minutes, Seth and Alani went ahead and recorded their interview segment, having to stop only a couple of times to make any adjustments. Seth was definitely improving on the mic with each segment that passed and he also felt extremely comfortable with Alani. The two of them had an on screen chemistry that he didn't have with any of the other backstage interviewers, a certain spark that captivated audiences. There wasn't any awkward pauses between the two and she played off him so well which allowed both of them to shine during the segments and make management extremely proud of their work.

Once the interview ended, Derrick quickly left to tend to a matter with another wrestler, leaving Alani and Seth alone. Awkwardness filled the air as the two stood in the corridor, not knowing what to say with the other.

"How have you been? Haven't seen you since the Smackdown taping," Seth commented.

"I've been okay I guess. You?"

"Can't complain."

Alani nodded her head as her cell phone vibrated in her hand. She glanced down at the display, catching glimpse of a text from Randy. She locked her phone.

"So I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to apologize."

"For what?"

Alani ran a hand through her hair nervously, switching her weight from one foot to the other. Ever since her run in with Seth the night of the Rumble, the way she acted towards him weighed heavily on her mind. For the first time in months, Seth acted like a decent human being towards her and she snapped at him. Despite the times he tormented her in the past, she knew he didn't deserve the way she reacted and she simply couldn't let another day go by without addressing the situation.

"I shouldn't have snapped on you like I did at the hotel. You were just trying to be helpful but I was being a bitch towards you."

Seth shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have pushed. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I know. I still don't understand why you cared but I guess I shouldn't question it and just appreciate it."

"So are you?" Seth finally asked after another brief silence.

"Am I what?"

"Doing okay. I know it really isn't my place-"

"It's not."

"But I can't help but be concerned."

"But why?"

Seth smirked. "I'm not as much of a jackass as you think I am Alani. I can be compassionate."

Alani raised a perfectly arched brow and folded her arms across her chest. "Ok this is the second interaction we've had where you've called me by my real name. You're actually being nice towards me and haven't made any snide and lewd comments either. Who the fuck are you and what have you done with Seth Rollins?"

"Isn't this what you wanted? Didn't you want me to start treating you like a human being instead of a piece of meat?"

"Well yeah but-"

Seth chuckled as he stepped closer to Alani. He gazed at her from underneath his long eyelashes, his stare intense and teasing in nature. "But what?"

Alani swallowed nervously as her pounding heartbeat echoed throughout the hallway. She bit her bottom lip and raised her head, her eyes locking onto Seth's. The look that emanated from his orbs left her speechless and breathless.

"I didn't think you would actually comply with my request. It was a little bit too easy."

Seth's smirk widened into a grin. "I think it's more to it than that."

"And what would that be?"

Seth moved closer towards Alani again, forcing the woman to move backwards in an attempt to create space between their bodies. Triumph spread across Seth's face when Alani's back ran into an equipment crate, preventing her from moving further away.

"I think you were starting to enjoy the teasing and the nicknames."

"Oh please." Alani scoffed.

"I told you it would happen sooner or later. Just admit that I'm right."

Seth spoke with an air of confidence that he often displayed with his in ring persona making Alani's stomach flip flop. She stared at Seth defiantly, unwilling to admit whether his analysis was spot on or not. As much as Seth had tormented her since the day the two met, she couldn't help the way her body was responding to him right now. Her breath came out in short pants as a nervous energy coursed through her body.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Alani's head snapped to the side at the familiar voice. Randy stood slightly behind Seth, his eyes narrowing at the sight in front of him. She inhaled quietly and mentally prepared herself for the scene the two alpha males were going to cause at work. Instead, Seth turned around and flashed Randy a cocky smile as if he wasn't phased by the interruption. The two wrestlers held a staredown with one another while Alani nervously glanced around the hallway. Although her and Randy had made up over the weekend, she was still surprised he was interacting with her at work. Nobody had a clue of what was going on between the two of them and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Ra-"

"Actually, I was about to head over to catering," Seth stated. He turned back to face Alani. "Great job earlier Ms. Matthews. I'll see you around."

With one last lingering look in her direction, Seth stepped around Randy not bothering to look at the veteran wrestler. Once he was out of her eye sight, Alani cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair, straightening her posture.

"I should start getting ready for the show," she mumbled and turned to walk away.

Randy's hand clamping down on her arm paused her movements, making her whirl around. "So you and Rollins were looking mighty cozy. Anything you wanna tell me?"

Alani rolled her eyes. "Wait is that some jealousy I hear in your tone?"

"I'm not-"

"I hope you're about to say you're not jealous because you have no right to be. You're in a relationship Randy so if you think you can demand full disclosure from me about whether I'm fucking one of your co-workers, you're sadly mistaken and have a lot of damn nerve." She snatched her arm out of his grasp.

"Alani I was just-"

The Jersey native held up her hand, stopping Randy from finishing his statement. "I really don't want to have this conversation with you right now. I don't owe you shit. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready for the show. Goodbye."

Alani quickly spun on her heel and briskly walked towards the Diva's locker room away from Randy. Her chest raised rapidly, both from her quick argument with Randy and her awkward encounter with Seth.

* * *

><p>Alexandria anxiously paced in front of her couch, glancing at her cell phone that sat on the coffee table. Before she got involved with Dean, she rarely paced. But now whenever she got nervous she couldn't stand still. It was ironic at how many traits of Dean's she inherited over the course of a year.<p>

The past week of no contact with her boyfriend had been miserable. She missed him. She longed to have his arms wrap around her body while they slept. She missed the way her nickname rolled off his tongue. And she had an intense craving for turkey burgers all of a sudden.

The fact that Dean hadn't made an attempt to contact her sunk her further into her funk. If it wasn't for Alyssa's conversations with Roman, Alexandria wouldn't had known whether Dean was alive or not. While it appeared easy to place all the blame on him, she knew she was at fault as well.

After she didn't hear from him for the third day in a row, Alexandria should've pushed her stubbornness to the side and reached out to him. After her conversation with Alyssa and Naomi, she knew there was something more to the incident in Las Vegas and she wanted to sort things out. She wanted to lay everything out on the table and fix shit so they could go back to being the happy, horny couple they were. But they couldn't do that if neither of them made an attempt to communicate with one another.

The more time that passed without her talking to Dean, allowed more insecurities to attack her. Alexandria may not have been as immersed in the inner workings of the wrestling industry like the rest of her friends but she wasn't stupid. Dean was very attractive and the chicks loved him. Hell they loved him so much, some of them went as far to leave disturbing comments on Alexandria's social media pages once they learned she was Dean's girlfriend and she quickly learned some Dean Ambrose fan girls were a special breed of eccentric. If any of them were able to have one night of passion with him, it would make their life. As far as Alexandria knew, Dean may have been using their brief break as an opportunity to see what other fish the sea had to offer.

"No, Dean loves me," Alexandria declared, her voice quavering. Now was not the time for her to start imagining Dean cheating on her. Not after everything they had been through during their relationship. The two of them fought like hell to be together and she knew Dean wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that.

Right?

Shaking her head, Alexandria pushed the doubts from her mind and grabbed her cell phone. It was time she started acting like an adult and make the first move to fixing the rift between her and Dean. Their relationship hit a minor snag but it could be fixed. Hell it would be fixed if she had anything to say about it.

Trembling fingers pressed Dean's number to dial, keeping the phone on speaker as she sat it back down on the table. Alexandria held her breath and listened to the phone ring, her brain trying to conjure up a way to approach the subject without starting another argument as she wondered how Dean would react upon hearing from her.

However, her question wasn't answered since her call was sent to voicemail. Furrowing her brow, Alexandria ended the call and glanced at the time. Raw ended hours ago and she knew Dean was more than likely back in his hotel room, preparing for the next day. But maybe he was away from the phone which would explain why he didn't answer.

Alexandria waited ten minutes and dialed the number once more, waiting for Dean to pick up. This time the phone only rang twice before she was sent to voicemail once again. Uneasiness washed over her at the thought of Dean purposefully ignoring her calls but she brushed the idea away. Maybe his finger mistakenly hit the ignore button, she thought to herself as she walked into her bathroom to get ready for bed.

Fifteen minutes later and freshly showered, Alexandria sat on the edge of her bed in one of Dean's t-shirts, his scent invading her senses and making her miss him even more. She exhaled deeply and called Dean again. It was late and she had to be at work early the next morning. However, she just wanted to hear his raspy voice, a sound she hadn't heard in a while before she succumbed to dreamland.

But her wish remain unfulfilled as she was immediately greeted by the automated voicemail greeting.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So will Dalex ever get their shit together and talk? What the hell was all of that about between Seth/Alani? And uh oh, seems like a certain viper is starting to become a little jealous! Lemme know what you thought about this chapter and leave a review!**_


	8. Eight

_**A/N: I am so sorry for the late update. My personal life has been hectic as hell within the past week and writing has been the furthest thing from my mind. But I'm back focused and inspired with a new chapter. Thank you all for your patience and love for the last chapter. Let's see our favorite characters are up to, shall we?**_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Eight<strong>

"You look like crap."

Roman chuckled as he adjusted his body in a more comfortable position on the hotel bed and took a sip of his coffee. His tired eyes locked onto Alyssa's beautiful face on his iPad, a lazy grin appearing on his lips.

"I feel like crap. I swear I don't understand how I used to party all the time before I met you. I damn near fell asleep at the bar."

Alyssa giggled softly as she held Ethan in her arms while she talked to Roman. She glanced to the side and watched Isaiah playing on the floor of the twins' playpen, simply enthralled by the foam alphabet block she gave him as old Shield matches played on the large screen television. "Isaiah don't put that block in your mouth!" she scolded her son, wagging her finger at him. She reached over grabbed the block, quickly handing him a teething ring instead before he could start crying.

Alyssa's gaze settled back on Roman and she shrugged. "Join the club. I cringe whenever I think about wearing heels for a long period of time. I'm just so accustomed to wearing flats now. Last time I wore heels was for our anniversary," she told him. "So your night out with the dumb ass must've been epic since he couldn't answer any of Alex's calls."

Roman exhaled and shook his head. The previous night after the Raw taping, he allowed himself to be dragged to a local bar by Dean for what was only supposed to be a couple of beers. Well a couple of beers turned into Dean tallying up a $400 tab and almost being tempted by a few female fans to do body shots until Roman was finally able to drag Dean out the bar before he did something he would regret the next morning. He wouldn't have had an issue with spending the night out partying with his best friend if he was drunk as well. But being sober while your best friend, who was doing his best to avoid working things out with his girlfriend, was drunk off his ass was not fun at all.

"Somebody had to be the adult and make sure he didn't do something he would regret later on. I tried to convince him to just go back to the room and call Alex but he just had to prove to the guys he isn't a whipped lover boy and can still hang like he used to," Roman explained, shaking his head as he thought about his previous night. "Have you talked to Alex?"

"Not really. We just text a couple of times this morning." Alyssa nibbled her bottom lip worriedly and sighed as her thoughts drifted to her cousin and her current predicament.

"Hey, don't worry. They'll work things out. Or else I'll kick Ambrose's ass."

Alyssa smiled. "You can't resolve everything with violence handsome."

"Says the woman who told me to make him fix things before you hunted him down with a prison shank made out of a toothbrush."

The married couple laughed as Roman's eyes drifted to Ethan nestled in Alyssa's arms. The baby's wide eyes stared at Alyssa while he drank from his bottle.

"Look at my boy with an appetite just like me and his brother," Roman said with a smile.

"I swear you three would eat us out of a house if you could," Alyssa joked.

Roman tossed a playful glare in his wife's direction before the sound of Isaiah babbling in the background interrupted their conversation. Alyssa turned to look at her son, watching him clap his little hands as The Shield's theme music started playing. Ethan pulled his attention from his bottle and stared at the television as well. The twins' happy squeals filled the den as they watched their father walk through the crowd and down the stairs behind Seth and Dean.

"Who's that? Is that Daddy on TV?" Alyssa asked her sons in a soft baby voice. Instead of responding the infants continued to babble. Still holding Ethan, she crouched down to Isaiah's eye level and turned the laptop so both boys could see Roman on the screen. "Is Daddy on Mama's laptop?" she gestured to the screen.

Isaiah started making grabbing motions with his tiny hands, trying to stand to his feet and reach for the screen. "Da. Da. Da."

"Did he just say Daddy?" Roman asked excitedly, his charcoal orbs twinkling.

"No. He said Da. Your name isn't Da." Alyssa rolled her eyes playfully.

"He said Dada. That's Daddy gorgeous," Roman insisted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's babbling like all babies do. But if you want to believe he said 'Daddy' then go right ahead."

"You're just mad he didn't say Mama first. Let me have this small victory."

Alyssa laughed and shook her head. She watched Roman talk to the boys as if they could understand a word he was saying. Once her three favorite Samoan men finished their conversation, she placed Ethan in the playpen next to his brother, handing him a matching alphabet block like Isaiah played with earlier. When the twins appeared to be preoccupied, she returned to her seat to continue talking to Roman.

"Why you looking at me like that?" she asked shyly, observing the gleam in his eye as he stared at her.

"Like what?"

"Like you adore me."

"Isn't that how a man is supposed to look at his wife?" Roman asked, his deep voice making a tingle rolling down her spine.

Alyssa giggled and internally breathed a sigh of relief. It has been a couple of weeks since her mild breakdown after the Rumble and she was happy Roman hadn't brought it up again. As much as she wanted to believe her husband simply forgot about the incident, she knew it was still weighing on Roman's mind and he was just waiting on the right time to bring it up. But instead of worrying about something that didn't happen yet, she decided to enjoy the peace between the two of them.

"Still the Casanova you were when I first met you Reigns," Alyssa teased.

Roman laughed. "I can't help it gorgeous. I miss you three so much."

A half smile crept onto the corners of Alyssa's lips. "We miss you too. At least you'll be back tomorrow and able to stay with us until Monday morning since there isn't a house show this weekend. I was thinking we could take the boys to the beach or the park for a picnic since it's still nice here."

Roman nodded and glanced out the window at the snow coming down from the sky. "We can do that. As long as we get some time to ourselves too. It's been far too long baby girl."

A deep crimson blush spread across Alyssa's cheeks again when Roman's voice dropped an octave. It had indeed been a while since the couple was intimate with one another and it was clear Roman was eager to make love to his wife. The hand jobs he gave himself on a nightly basis as he thought about Alyssa simply wasn't cutting it and Alyssa had to admit her finger could only do so much before that became redundant as well. However, the thought of Roman seeing her naked body while immersed in the throes of passion made Alyssa extremely uncomfortable and shift in her spot slightly as she cleared her throat nervously.

"I'm sure I can bribe either Naomi or Alex to watch the boys for a couple of hours."

The sudden switch in Alyssa's demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Roman. He straightened his posture and stared into the deep brown eyes he loved so much.

"Alyssa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Alyssa replied quickly "Just a little tired. You know how Isaiah is late at night."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it."

Alyssa gulped, wiping her sudden sweat drenched hand on the thigh of her pajama pants. "Rome seriously I'm fine."

Roman ran a hand over his sleek ponytail and exhaled. In a perfect world, his wife would've opened up to him about what happened the night of the Rumble and what else was on her mind so they could work things out as a couple. But Alyssa was stubborn as a bull and always kept shit to herself, thinking she could handle everything on her own. Roman didn't want to pressure her to open up to him. But as she sat hundreds of miles away from him in their home acting as if everything was okay, it was clear he would have to take the first step to fixing things.

"What happened with you in the hotel room after the Rumble?"

"I don't-"

"Don't say you don't know what I'm talking about Alyssa. You may have thought I forgot but I damn sure didn't and I know you didn't either."

Alyssa diverted her gaze from Roman's and exhaled. "I was tired. First night back at work and it was for a pay per view. It wasn't a big deal."

An awkward silence surrounded the couple as sounds from the commentary of The Shield match playing on the television filled the den along with Ethan and Isaiah holding a conversation with one another in baby speak. Roman released a breath.

"Gorgeous, I can't help you and be there for you if you don't let me in," he said softly. "And don't say you don't need help because I know you. I know you like the back of my hand and I know when something is bothering you."

"Ro-"

"We're married. Your problems are my problems and vice versa. You don't have to handle everything on your own. Not when I'm here. Don't you know that by now?"

"You just wouldn't understand," Alyssa mumbled, lowering her head again as she blinked rapidly to stop that tears from escaping her eyes.

"Well help me understand so I can help you. Baby please don't push me away."

The pleading tone of Roman's voice made Alyssa's head jerk up. Roman felt his anxiety flare up as he observed the unshed tears in her eyes, wishing he wasn't in a different state for the Smackdown taping so he could be by his wife's side to console her. He watched as a range of emotions flashed across her face, an indication that there was internal war going on inside of her. He couldn't understand what she could possibly be hiding that was so hard for her to share with him. But Roman knew he would do anything to demolish the walls Alyssa had surrounding her if it meant helping her.

"Handsome, I know you want to help me. And I appreciate that I do. But I need to handle this by myself. I can't always come running to you for help. Not when you're busy with work-"

"Damn work Alyssa!" Roman's voice boomed, startling Alyssa. "How many times have I told you work means nothing to me in comparison to you and the boys? You three are the most important people in my life. So don't use that fuckin excuse with me."

Isaiah's screaming cry interrupted Roman and Alyssa's conversation. Alyssa sighed as she rushed to her son, picking him up. She bounced him on her hip and sang a song to him softly while Ethan watched the scene unfold, confused as to why his brother was screaming his head off. Alyssa kissed Isaiah's forehead and continued singing, turning back to look at Roman who had a worried expression on his face.

"Ro, I gotta go and calm Isaiah down before Ethan gets upset too. I'll talk to you later."

"Gor-"

Roman's statement died on his lips as Alyssa ended the video call, his screen immediately going black. He flung his iPad onto the bed and slammed his fist onto his nightstand, firing off angry curses.

* * *

><p>Alani exhaled softly as she stared at her phone in her hand, the icon in the top left corner informing her she had a text message waiting for her. She didn't need to open the message to find out who it was from because she already knew Randy sent it to her. Ever since she left his hotel room early Tuesday morning after their routine sexual romp, she ignored all of his text messages and phone calls. Luckily for her, Randy was such a big star in the company he wasn't required to perform on Smackdown like the up and coming talent. So there wasn't a chance she would run into him at the arena before the show the previous night and she was completely fine with that.<p>

As Alani walked through the corridor of Full Sail University, preparing for her appearance as the ring announcer, a role she was requested to fill in for at the last minute, she wondered why was she doing her best to avoid the man known as The Viper. Since he appeared at her apartment a couple of weeks back, things had been going fairly well between them. Sure he still was with his girlfriend but the two of them finally admitted to one another that they wanted to be together. They were simply waiting on the right time. Alani told herself this was the best thing for her. Randy was charming and handsome. And most importantly, he was an integral part in her being able to leave her old life behind and obtain a fabulous and envied career.

However, Alani couldn't ignore the nagging voice telling her this arrangement wasn't what she needed or wanted no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise.

Alani flashed a polite smile to a few wrestlers and backstage workers that she passed. On the outside, nobody would ever be able to see the inner turmoil she was currently going through. Any other woman would have considered themselves lucky to catch the eye of Randy Orton, the established veteran. But as far as she could tell, her life had gotten much more complicated since she made the decision to step into the cab with him. She once lived a simple life: wake up, go to work, come home, eat a bowl of Ramen Noodles, then sleep. But now her life was filled with secrets and lies. And if that wasn't bad enough, Alani had a problem by the name of Seth Rollins that wouldn't disappear.

A frown quickly appeared on Alani's face at the thought of the self proclaimed future of WWE while she unlocked her phone and opened her Twitter app. Their encounter Monday night was still fresh on her mind and she didn't like it one bit. Any other time, Alani would curse a man out for invading her personal space like he did and she possibly would've emphasized her rant by kicking him in the nuts. Yet, she simply allowed Seth to walk away unscathed.

Sure, she was used to Rollins being an arrogant prick that constantly eyed her like she was a piece of meat since the day she met him. But the way he gazed at her two nights ago was different. It wasn't lewd. It wasn't disgusting. It was as if he was staring deep into her soul, silently trying to will her to lower her inhibitions and allow him to show her how a real man would treat her. Instead of the desire to harm him, a weird fluttering sensation appeared in the pit of her stomach, the feeling constantly appearing whenever the memory crossed her mind. A warm blush crept onto Alani's cheeks and she shook her head. Seth hadn't even touched her and yet he was invading her thoughts.

Alani continued walking through the hallway as she scrolled through her Twitter timeline. Her eyes soon caught sight of a tweet from Dolph Ziggler directed towards Seth regarding a picture the two toned hair man posted. Curious, Alani clicked on the link and an image of an unmade bed immediately popped up on her screen. Her face contorted in disgust and she scoffed while she read the caption, rolling her eyes. One thing she hated was how the current generation constantly shared everything about their lives on social media as opposed to leaving some items out of the public eye. Alani thought it was very tasteless when people who were considered to be role models like Seth was, posted suggestive material on their Twitter or Instagram pages, both of which were easily accessible to young kids.

"Well, well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you this evening sweet cheeks?"

An indescribable chill zipped through Alani's body at the sound of the familiar voice. She turned around and came face to face with Seth. He stood behind her dressed in all black, the top three buttons undone to reveal a peak of his muscular chest. His hands gripped the Money In The Bank briefcase, a cocky smirk displayed on his lips.

"Even on my days off, I can't avoid you. Lucky me," Alani mumbled, locking her phone while she tried to ignore the thumping of her heart against her chest.

Chocolate brown orbs raked over Alani's body and Seth bit his bottom lip appreciatively. The figure hugging army green dress hit her right at the kneecaps and looked impeccable against her mocha colored skin. Her well endowed chest was accentuated by the scoop styled neckline. No matter how many times he had seen Alani, he couldn't get over gorgeous she was.

"Don't act as if you aren't happy to see me. Just admit I made your entire week now."

A sardonic chuckle fell from Alani's lips and she shook her head. "As usual Rollins you're the typical arrogant asshole that you always are. Glad to see you're reverted to the version of you that I know and despise."

"You're back to pretending you hate me I see," Seth said with a laugh of his own.

"What are you even doing here? Stalking me?"

"Actually, I'm here to make a surprise appearance for all of my fans. Although I'm sure you would love if I followed you around like a lost puppy."

"I'm surprised you were able to pull yourself away from Instagram long enough to come out."

"Instagram? What does that even mean?" Seth asked, his face crinkled in confusion.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. But I have some place to be so have fun."

Without another word, Alani started to walk around Seth. Before she could take another step, his larger hand clamped down on her wrist and stopped her. She whirled around and came face to face with Seth, his intense gaze stopping her from speaking. She nervously switched her weight from one leg to the other.

"Don't let me run you away toots."

Alani laughed uneasily. "You actually think your presence is making me run away? Be for real Rollins. Everything doesn't revolve around you."

"I beg to differ. But that's a discussion for another time. Now tell me exactly, what were you talking about Instagram taking up too much of my time?"

Alani realized Seth wouldn't leave her alone until she elaborated. "I just thought you would have to take more pictures of unmade beds to post on Instagram instead of coming down here."

"What?"

"The picture you posted this morning. Real classy Rollins." Alani cynically gave him a thumbs up signal.

A knowing smirk crept onto the corners of Seth's lips. "So you follow me on Instagram?"

"Oh please. Do not flatter yourself. I saw it when somebody retweeted it on my timeline. I wouldn't waste my time following you. You're not that important to me."

"Well then why are you jealous of the picture?"

Alani's cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson. "Jealous? Why would I be jealous of a man that tries so hard to be cool that he ends up sharing too much of his personal life on social media? That's absurd!" she exclaimed, attempting to snatch her wrist away from Seth.

Instead, his grip tightened slightly. Seth gently pushed her back into the wall, gently pressing his body against hers. The hallways by that time were nearly deserted and Alani felt her heart rate accelerate, memories from Monday night reappearing. Despite her best efforts to appear unfazed by the close proximity her and Seth were in, she couldn't ignore the way his muscular chest pressed against hers. His toned legs slightly parted so he could place them on both sides of her own legs as he stared at her. The sensual gleam in his chocolate orbs made her knees feel like Jello and threaten to buckle. Unable to take anymore, she broke their stare and glanced at the floor.

"Look at me Alani."

The tone of Seth's voice changed from playful to authoritative. As opposed to it making her upset and snap at him for thinking he could order her around, her body slightly shook at the demand. It felt as if she didn't have any control over her own actions as her head raised, her eyes locking onto Seth's.

"I think you need to be honest with yourself."

"Honest about what exactly?" Alani questioned softly.

"You're not upset I share too much of my personal life online. You're just pissed at the thought of me taking a woman to bed that isn't you."

"You have a lot of fuckin nerve Rollins."

"But am I wrong Alani? Look me in my eye and tell me that the thought of you being in my bed, screaming my name until the early morning hours doesn't turn you on."

She should've slapped the taste out of his mouth for saying such things to her. Who the fuck did he think he was? Hell, who the fuck did he think she was? Instead, Alani whimpered softly making Seth chuckle.

"Just go ahead and admit it babe. I won't judge you."

Alani's body betrayed her as it trembled some more in his grasp when he leaned forward. Their faces were inches apart and Seth licked his bottom lip, that cocky smirk of his widening. At that particular moment, Alani forgot about how she found Seth insufferable and instead she yearned to feel his lips on her own.

Before she could say anything, she heard feet clacking against the linoleum. Seth reluctantly pulled away seconds before a few divas walked past. Seth tilted his head in greeting, a charming smile tossed in their direction. Once they disappeared from their sight giggling, his focus returned to Alani who was still pressed against the wall. He bit the corner of his bottom lip at the sight before him. No matter how much she would try to deny it, he knew that he had gotten under her skin.

"Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go catch up with a couple of my friends. Nice running into you Ms. Matthews."

With one last departing wink, Seth strolled away, whistling without a care in the world. Once he disappeared, Alani released a breath she didn't know she was holding. For the second time in less than a week, Seth Rollins had left her breathless. What the fuck was going on with her?

* * *

><p>Dean pulled his sweat pants up his legs and stood to his feet. His cell phone rang, pausing his movements. He grabbed the phone, grunting when he saw the same unfamiliar phone number that had been calling him the past few weeks flash across his screen. He promptly ignored the call and tossed his phone onto the nightstand and made his way into his living room. He leaned against the wall as he watched Alexandria sit on his couch, combing through her hair. He studied her movements, simply enjoying the sight before him. It had been far too long since he saw his girlfriend in person. Despite his friends urging him to make ammends and Alyssa threatening to dismember his body, Dean did his best to avoid speaking to Alexandria. It wasn't as if he didn't want to reconcile with the Georgia native because he did. But first he had to make sure he had his thoughts together. He had to find a way to articulate to Alexandria that while he did care for her, he still wasn't ready to say the L word just yet. He just hoped she didn't leave him because of it. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. Yet, he was still getting comfortable with the idea of being in a relationship. He needed time to get used to putting his trust and giving his heart exclusively to one person. He didn't know if Alexandria could accept that though.<p>

"You better stop staring at me and come eat before I eat all your pizza."

Dean smirked and walked towards the couch, jumping over the back and plopping next to Alexandria. She handed him a plate and placed a few slices of pizza on it before piling her plate with pizza. His steely blue orbs watched as Alexandria took a bite of the pizza and subsequently wiggled in her seat.

Dean chuckled. "You're the only person I know that dances when they eat."

Alexandria stopped moving and glanced at Dean. The amused smirk on his face turned her insides into mush. "Well I get happy when I eat good food. Is there a problem with that?"

Dean shook his head. "Not at all. Just one of the many things I missed about you doll face."

"Wait, you missed me?" Her voice turned soft.

"Of course I did. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Well it was kind of hard to tell since you didn't text or return any of my calls Monday night. I didn't know what to think Dean"

Dean sighed, guilt filling his body. "I know. I fucked up not speaking to you Lex. But I just thought you wanted some space from me after everything that happened," he said, reaching for her hand. "But even if I didn't talk to you or text you, I was always thinking about you."

"Thinking about what exactly?"

"How much I missed our nightly talks. How much I missed your kisses. How much I ruined everything in Vegas."

Alexandria bit the inside of her bottom lip, her anxiety going into overdrive at the mention of the Vegas disaster. She knew the time would eventually come for them to sit down and have a logical conversation about what happened during their last night and she definitely wasn't looking forward to it. But she knew until it happened, they wouldn't be able to move past the latest obstacle.

"Dean you didn't ruin everything. Hell we can both shoulder some blame for what happened in Vegas. My timing was horrid. I shouldn't have made such a declaration moments after we had sex in the back of the car but it just felt right at that moment so that's why I did it," Alexandria explained. "I just don't understand why you reacted the way you did. I thought you felt the same way about me that I felt about you but you couldn't even repeat the words back to me. And then you looked so scared when I said it. You looked at me like this relationship had gotten deeper than you intended as if you simply weren't interested in falling in love with me."

"Lex, I care about you so much the shit scares me sometimes," Dean claimed.

"Yeah but-"

"But nothing." Dean placed his hands on Alexandria's shoulders and turned her head so she could stare into his eyes. "The way I feel about you, I've never felt for any other woman before. And that's why I reacted the way I did. I'm not here to make excuses but this whole relationship thing is new to me so I'm still trying to become accustomed to the sappy declarations, the PDA, the being concerned about somebody else's feelings besides my own. It's not easy, but I'm trying Lex. I swear I am. You have to believe me."

Dean's voice cracked once the last sentence left his mouth causing Alexandria's bottom lip to tremble. Naomi and Alyssa's words swirled around in her head while memories of her and Dean's relationship over the past year appeared. Dean was definitely trying. There was no denying he had changed so much from the man he used to be when they first started dating. And she appreciated his effort. But she still needed more. She needed to know whether they were both on the same page in regards to their relationship.

"Dean, do you want us to eventually move past the initial stages of dating? Because there's no doubt in my mind that I do. The only future I want is one with you in it. But if you don't want that then just let me know and we can end this now. Because I refuse to remain in a relationship that isn't going to evolve."

The silence in the room became thick as Dean mulled over Alexandria's words. He feared he would one day let his girlfriend down. Sure things seemed perfect at first but he knew sooner or later, he would fuck things up like he always did. Dean couldn't believe Alexandria actually thought he was the type of man that could make her happy for the rest of her life. The fact that she put so much trust and hope into her fantasy made him realize just how deep her love for him ran, a fact that excited and terrified him all at once. He was struggling so much to become accustomed to being in a monogamous relationship, he wasn't quite so sure if he was ready to think about marriage so soon.

"Alex, if I didn't want to go the long haul with you, I would've kept this strictly sexual. But I care too much about you to do that. You mean more to me than just a piece of ass darling. But if I'm being honest, I'm not ready to start planning our future. I'm too focused on right now and taking things one step at a time."

Alexandria's face fell at Dean's words. She quickly turned her head so he couldn't see the tears trickling from eyes.

"No, wait just hear me out please," Dean begged as he reached for her hand again. "This is all very new to me. I told you I'm not used to letting people in and confiding in them. I'm not used to trusting people. Hell for most of my life all I had was myself and that's it. I'm not saying I don't want the same things that you do because there's no doubt in my mind, one day I'll be at that same place. But right now I just have to take things slow. I guess that's why I didn't tell you I love you because I'm not comfortable saying it aloud right now. But that doesn't mean you don't mean the world to me because you do."

"But if I mean the world to you then what's so hard about saying it Dean?" Alexandria choked back a sob. "Do you know how humiliating it is to put yourself out there emotionally for a man just for him to leave you hanging? It fuckin sucks!"

"I'm sorry about that I truly am. But me not saying it isn't going to change how I treat you Alex. You're still my doll face. You're still the woman I want to be with. And nothing is gonna change about that. All I'm asking is that you give me time to get comfortable being in a relationship. Don't rush me to profess my love for you. I'm not used to people telling me they love me let alone having somebody love me. This is a lot for me to grasp."

Dean scooted closer to Alexandria and pulled her body towards his. He wiped away her tears with his fingers and pecked her softly on the forehead. "I don't want to lose you darling. I can't lose you because I need you. I'm just asking for some time that's all."

Alexandria sighed. Like other women, all she wanted was for the man she loved to express his love to her, confirming that he was as committed to their relationship and future as she was. She couldn't fathom the thought of waking up one day and learning Dean left her because his feelings didn't run as deep as hers did. The mere thought made her blood run cold.

Dean's calloused fingertips stroked the side of her face, breaking her train of thought. She peered into his clear blue eyes, nervousness latching onto fear. It was at that moment that Alexandria remembered that Dean wasn't like most men. He carried tons of emotional baggage and scarring from his troubled past that didn't easily erase. But she knew that. She knew it when she first met him. She knew it when they first kissed. And she damn sure knew it the night she lost her virginity to him. She was well aware of the kind of man Dean was when she decided to be with him so should it really had become an issue now?

Alexandria squeezed Dean's hand. A watery half smile graced her lips. "Don't keep me waiting too long Ambrose."

A relieved sigh fell from Dean's lips. He captured Alexandria's lips in a sizzling kiss. He hungrily sampled her taste, coaxing soft moans from her mouth. His large hand landed on the middle of her back, holding Alexandria in place so she wouldn't faint from the intensity of the smooch while her tongue slipped into his mouth. She reclined her body backwards, grabbing onto Dean's white t-shirt and pulling him on top of her. She continued the kiss as she pushed the lingering doubts out of her mind.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Rolyssa issues are spiraling out of control. Dalex appears to have gotten over their hurdle. And what exactly is going on with Selani? Hmmmm. R&R :-)**_


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